CHICOPEE — A farmers market complete with entertainment and room for local businesses and crafters to sell their wares is expected to open in Chicopee Center in June.
The Center Fresh Market is being created through a partnership between the city and the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, with assistance from federal Community Development Block Grants that will double the amount of produce low-income people will be able to purchase using food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.
This will be the second farmers market in the city, but it will be open on a different day, at a different time and in a different neighborhood, said Julie Copoulos, director of the Chamber of Commerce.
“We are trying to make it as fun and creative and accessible as possible,” she said.
All guidelines for COVID-19 safety will be followed, including requiring customers to wear masks, and the setup will meet social distancing requirements. At the same time, Copoulos said she is hoping the market can offer entertainment from local musicians and other events as it goes forward.
Discussions about the market began in the summer, with the hopes of opening it in the fall and even operating a winter market. But COVID-19 infections started surging and officials decided to delay the opening, said Bobbi Mabb, special projects manager for Mayor John L. Vieau.
The market will operate in the plaza in front of the former library, which has been unused for more than 15 years. The hope is it may also call attention to the building so a new use, possibly one with a private and public partnership, can be found, Vieau said.
“We want to get people downtown to support local businesses and invest in their community directly,” Copoulos said.
The plan is to operate the Center Fresh Market 1-6 p.m. every Thursday, which will give more people a chance to stop by after work, she said.
The market will complement rather than compete with the market run by the Valley Opportunity Council, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays on Chicopee Street near the intersection of Mount Carmel Avenue. The Valley Opportunity Council and the Chamber of Commerce are working together to start the new one, Copoulos said.
The chamber has already developed an agreement with Bardwell Farm, in Hatfield, that will allow people to purchase a farm share — or a weekly supply of fresh vegetables that are in season — and have their bags delivered to the Center Fresh Market. The program has people purchase farm shares for 20 weeks, with the cost starting at $400 for an order for one or two people, she said.
Along with having vegetable farms, the market is expected to have a local farmer who grows mushrooms and a beekeeper who will sell honey. Organizers also hope to have a local brewery that will sell unopened cans. They have talked to downtown businesses and hope they will participate. Other small businesses will be invited, such as a potter or a jewelry maker, Copoulos said.
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The Link LonkFebruary 24, 2021 at 05:18PM
https://www.masslive.com/news/2021/02/chicopee-to-open-center-fresh-farmers-market-in-june.html
Chicopee to open Center Fresh farmers market in June - MassLive.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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