MARTINSBURG – The Martinsburg Farmers Market made its triumphant return to the city’s historic Roundhouse on Saturday, bringing together more than 60 vendors from across the Eastern Panhandle and beyond.
This year’s market will run every Saturday for another 27 weeks. Each week will feature a few different vendors offering everything from farm-fresh produce to handmade jewelry.
Since the farmers market first came to the Roundhouse in June of 2023, it has grown steadily, culminating in December with the Merry Maker’s Market, which brought more than over 100 different vendors to the historic building over two weekends.
Kathryn Rowley, market manager, said seeing the market grow from 5-6 vendors when it started last spring to what it is now has been a dream come true.
“Seeing the people, the energy, the positive energy — it starts to happen when you get all of these people together and helping one another and being successful,” Rowley said. “It just creates this vibe that you can’t explain. It’s just a magical feeling.”
This year, she said the market will have around 30 vendors on any given Saturday, some of which are old favorites and some of which are new to the scene.
“We’ve had a lot of people get their business license just to join,” she said.
Many of the vendors, with businesses both new and old, expressed their excitement for the market and its growth. Julie Bolyard, who runs Fruit Meadow Farms, said that having the event in a historic building is exciting for her.
“I really love seeing the Roundhouse used for community events, and I really love seeing Martinsburg citizens just embracing the farmers market,” Bolyard said.
She said Fruit Meadow Farms used to be part of the Martinsburg Farmers Market years ago, when it was held on Martinsburg’s Town Square on Friday evenings.
Saturday was her first time back, and she said she’ll be returning throughout the year.
One new business, called Go Nuts, makes fresh donuts using local ingredients. Its owners said they’re trying to introduce themselves to the community through the market and will be at the market for a least the next 14 Saturdays.
Benjamin Thompson, with Willow Bourn Farms, said he hopes the market can bring more local farmers in to join the roster, since helping grow small businesses is a major goal for the market.
“You can’t really grow as a farm unless you’re growing with the community,” Thompson said. “It’s not independence; it’s interdependence.”
More information about the farmers market, such as special themed weeks or upcoming vendors, is available at Facebook.com/MartinsburgFarmersMarket.
Read More: Martinsburg Farmers Market returns for 2024 season | Journal-news