A special event permit application with Ligonier Township indicates the site previously used by Ligonier Country Market could be filled on Saturdays this summer after all.
The Loyalhanna Watershed Association is seeking a permit to use the 9-acre field it owns for a twice-monthly farmers market that would focus on local agriculture.
The request is expected to come before township supervisors on Tuesday. Association Director Susan Huba could not be reached Monday.
A disagreement earlier this year between the Ligonier Country Market and Loyalhanna Watershed Association about use of the association’s Ligonier Township field has led to months of upheaval for the market as organizers searched for a new home. Proposals have been floated for relocating to Ligonier Borough’s downtown, the Waterford fire station in Ligonier Township and Greensburg’s Lynch Field, but none of the ideas got support from municipal officials.
Meanwhile, Loyalhanna Watershed Association officials apparently have been planning a new, scaled-down use of the field.
The application for what is being called Ligonier Valley Farmers Market proposes an event twice a month on Saturdays from June to September, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The farmers market would give 60 local growers and producers a location to sell their wares, which could include fruits, vegetables, dairy products, baked goods and honey.
The anticipated amount of visitors would be about 1,000 people, according to the permit. As a comparison, the Ligonier Country Market typically drew between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors to shop among 130 vendors selling produce, crafts and other items.
“By creating a smaller, ‘back to the roots’ farmers market, we can collectively enhance local economic activity, preserve agricultural heritage and showcase a vibrant gathering space that benefits both residents and visitors in our community,” the Loyalhanna Watershed Association permit application said.
The Ligonier Country Market had been held for the past 25 years on the Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s property. Special event permits were issued in January, but a reported dispute over the lease between the market and association led to the market seeking a new home.
Greensburg officials last week rejected a request from the Ligonier Country Market to use Lynch Field for the event. That came after a proposal to move to Waterford fire station in Ligonier Township was nixed when supervisors rejected a request from fire officials to rezone the property for commercial use.