This year, shoppers looking for locally made food products can choose between two farmers markets.
The long-running market at Cole Gardens is already up and running.
And on Saturday on the other side of town, the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market will hold its inaugural shopping day in the Eagle Square Atrium.
Both will be open Saturdays at 10 a.m. The downtown market plans to run until 1 p.m. The Cole Gardens market runs a bit later, until 1:30 p.m.
“People miss having the market,” said Jill Longval, owner of Granite State Granola and publicity manager for the new winter market.
Longval said that some people have formed Saturday morning traditions of visiting the summer farmers market, patronizing downtown restaurants for breakfast and shopping at other downtown stores.
“We know there’s a demand for a Saturday morning market,” Longval said. “We’re really proud of our downtown community.”
Maydene Koppel, vice president of the summer Concord Farmers Market, is acting manager of the winter market. Eventually, the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market will have its own board of directors.
“Basically, we’ve always had it in the back of our minds,” Koppell said.
Then, this year, Steve Duprey offered the Eagle Square Atrium for the winter market to use. The two-story brick space is enclosed with large glass windows.
“It’s a beautiful space inside,” Longval said.
Duprey, through 7 Eagle Square LLC, bought the atrium in late October from the New Hampshire Historical Society for $250,000.
Longval said that next year, the plan is for the summer market to continue through fall without interruption; that wasn’t a possibility this year because of the closing date on the building.
The Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market has reached out to the Merrimack County Conservation District and will accept SNAP benefits.
There are 28 vendors scheduled so far for the Downtown Concord Farmers Market, Longval said.
Koppel doesn’t believe the downtown market will conflict with the Cole Gardens market.
“I think who we’re capturing are the people who go downtown but don’t go to the other market,” she said.
“Our goal was never to compete with Cole Gardens’ market,” Longval said.
Charlie Cole, vice president of Cole Gardens, said he doesn’t yet know how the new market may impact the winter market..
“I think it’s going to be a little confusing,” he said. “Some people don’t realize the downtown market is an addition, not a replacement.”
The market at Cole Gardens has been open since Nov. 3 and Cole said there’s been a good amount of traffic.
Vendors at the Cole Gardens market rotate weekly. “There’s always something different,” Cole said.
Like past years, the Winter Farmers Market at Cole Gardens will accept SNAP benefits and credit card payments.
“Having a farmers market in Concord is very important,” Cole said. “It’s good for the community to get local products.”
