New Wednesday Troy Waterfront Farmers Market
For Immediate Release
Contact: Duncan Crary (518) 274-2723
DCC@DuncanCrary.com
Starting Sept. 4, New Wednesday Troy Waterfront Farmers Market
Weekday Market To Be Held 11:30 a.m to 7 p.m, on Broadway Sidewalk Next to Atrium
TROY (08/29/19) -- The region’s premier farmers market is now offering customers a mid-week opportunity to purchase fresh, locally produced food.
Starting Sept. 4, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market will host a weekly Wednesday market from 11:30 a.m to 7 p.m. on the extra-wide sidewalk on Broadway between 3rd and 4th streets, along the southern end of the Troy Atrium in downtown Troy. The Wednesday market is planned to run outdoors through the winter holiday season, but will be able to move inside the atrium during bad weather.
“Our aim is to provide food shopping opportunities to the lunchtime crowd as well as residents who return to Troy later in the day after working elsewhere,” said Zack Metzger, president of the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. “We expect our Wednesday market to evolve and adapt over time as we listen to our customers and the community.”
The market area along Broadway has room for up to 20 vendors at one time, though it will launch with about a dozen vendors next week. Vendors have the ability to chose from two time slots: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Some vendors may opt to stay the entire time.
As of now, the vendors may change from week to week until everyone determines what works best. More information about featured Wednesday vendors will be announced via the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market email newsletter and will be shared through social media and on TroyMarket.org.
“The focus of this market is to provide fresh, locally produced food in the City of Troy,” Metzger said. “There will be limited opportunity for prepared foods, with priority given to vendors who offer a unique product to lunch and dinner time in Troy, as well as those who use fresh, local ingredients.”
FUTURE PLANS FOR WEEKDAY FARMERS MARKET
In April, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market announced it is in early talks with developer David Bryce to establish a year-round, indoor home for the market in a retrofitted Troy Atrium.
The planned indoor market space would compliment — but not replace — the successful outdoor Saturday market, which runs May through October on River Street and around Monument Square. The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market already uses the Atrium for its winter home on Saturdays November through April.
In the meantime, the outdoor Wednesday market starting next week will be in front of what may become the future entrance to the indoor, year-round marketplace.
“Over the last few years, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market has been thinking of how it could evolve in the city of Troy,” Metzger said. “Adding a Wednesday market is the first step of many toward expanding our market offerings in downtown Troy.”
In early fall 2018, the market engaged Project for Public Spaces (PPS), an internationally renowned "placemaking" consultant, to lend its expertise and experience in an assessment of the current state of the market and its potential expansion. The PPS team visited Troy for two days in November. While here, PPS held a series of meetings, visited several potential market expansion locations, and facilitated two workshops concerning the market -- one for the public which attracted more than 100 people, and a second for market vendors which drew approximately 50 vendors.
Experimenting with adding another market day during the week was among the recommendations PPS made in its final report, Metzger said.
PARKING NOTICE
Bryce Properties, owners of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage, are planning to close the upper decks of that structure for maintenance in the near future. On a typical Saturday, more than 1,000 cars park in that garage during the summer/fall Troy Waterfront Farmers Market.
Last week, the market began work notifying its customers that parking in the Uncle Sam Parking Garage will be limited in the future. All summer, the market has been raising awareness of other free weekend parking facilities at the Fifth Ave. Garage (between State and Broadway) and the State Street Parking Garage (at State and River streets).
“The Fifth Ave. Parking Garage is in good condition, and is a three-minute walk down Broadway to the market, with great new businesses to explore along the way,” said Steve Ridler, market manager. “The State Street Parking garage is a little more difficult to drive to on market Saturdays, because you have to take Congress to Front Street to get to it, but it is literally right next to the farmers market, which begins at State and River streets.”
This season, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market expanded all the way down Lower River Street, adding a dozen vendors to that block, which is already lined by stores and a wine tasting room.”
NEW: 2019 OUTDOOR MARKET MAPS
The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market printed 15,000 map-brochures to help visitors locate its 100+ street vendors as well as the brick-and-mortar shops that line the market area. The map also indicates the location of parking lots & garages, restrooms, ATM, and special activity areas.
These color maps are brochure size when folded and 11” x 17” when fully open. They are available at the Market Information table (on River Street in Monument Square) every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Takeaway maps are also available in the brochure holders that are clipped to the A-Frame enlarged market map signs at select entrances to the market area.
There is also an interactive Google Map version that anyone explore on their desktop, laptop, smart phone or mobile device at: https://www.troymarket.org/map
Production of the 2019 Outdoor Saturday Troy Waterfront Farmers Market map was made possible with support from River Street Market, a premium food hall at 433 River Street in Downtown Troy. http://www.riverstreetmkt.com/
CONTACT:
Duncan Crary (518) 274-2723 DCC@DuncanCrary.com
