Summer Market

It’s May, the month when each year for the past 13 years we have been happily planning the opening of the summer season of Brighton Farmers’ Market. We love this Market — its community of farmers, producers, and customers, and the wonderful energy created each week in the coming together of this community. This year the Market will look very different, as everything is different during this unexpected interval. Our farmers and producers will be there with their wonderful foods — more valued now than ever. We are implementing changes that will, we hope, create the safest possible environment for you to get the Market’s local, sustainably produced foods. We are also committed to protecting our vendors’ safety; they will be interacting with many people over a four-hour period.  We will miss the festivity, but look forward with hope to the time when families, friends, music, dogs, and friendly conversation will once again make Brighton Farmers’ Market the best place to be on a Sunday morning.

The Market will open on Sunday, May 24, 9 to 1, in Brighton’s High School parking lot, 1150 Winton Rd. S., Rochester. Our goal with the safety procedures listed below is to minimize interactions and the time people spend at the Market. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these new policies. As with everything during this time, these policies are subject to change as circumstances warrant and as government regulations and recommendations inform.

• All sales will take place through pre-ordering and prepayment. The Market’s website and weekly newsletters will include links to individual vendor sites to make it easy to contact vendors. All product will be pre-packaged.
• SNAP and FMNP customers are welcome as always and will also pre-order all product. SNAP customers will pay at the Market booth (please have the dollar amount of product pre-ordered with you) and transactions will take place without tokens. FMNP customers will give coupons directly to vendors. No credit/debit tokens will be sold.
• The first hour on Market day (9-10) will be reserved for seniors and vulnerable individuals. In order to space out attendance, we ask other customers to come during the hour that corresponds to the first letter of their last name: A through H — 10-11; I through P — 11-12; Q through Z — 12-1). One individual per family should attend, and we ask that dogs stay home.
• All vendors and customers must wear face masks.
• Social distancing must be maintained — six feet between individuals. We will space tents as far apart as possible.
• Vendors will maintain safe spaces — surfaces wiped with disinfectant spray, and hand sanitizer at every booth.
• We ask customers not to touch product, to leave quickly when done, and to stay home if sick.

Thanks to all our loyal customers for supporting Brighton Farmers’ Market and to our hard-working farmers and producers. We need them, and they need us more than ever. Be well, be safe!