The Ligonier Valley Farmers Market is set for an opening day June 13 after Ligonier Township supervisors on Tuesday approved a special event permit.
The decision was met with cheers and applause from those in attendance at the supervisors’ meeting.
Supervisor Stephanie Verna praised the group behind the proposal and called it an example of collaboration, diligence and listening.
“It’s a great way to see our community come together,” she said.
The Ligonier Valley Farmers Market, a new event, will be held on a 9-acre site owned by the Loyalhanna Watershed Association. The site had been used in previous years by the Ligonier Country Market. The special event permit application for the new farmers market was filed with Ligonier Township by the Loyalhanna Watershed Association.
Earlier this year, watershed association and Ligonier Country Market officials had a reported disagreement over leased use of the watershed property for the market. That led to months of upheaval for Ligonier Country Market as its organizers searched for a new location.
The permit application indicated the Ligonier Valley Farmers Market would be held twice a month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from June to September. It will give 60 local growers and producers a location to sell their wares, which could include fruits, vegetables, dairy products, baked goods and honey. Compared with the Ligonier Country Market, the farmers market will be a scaled-down use of the field.
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.
Dawn Szalay, owner of Song of Sixpence in Ligonier Borough, presented supervisors with a petition containing 50 signatures in support of the Ligonier Valley Farmers Market, which she described as a centerpiece of the community.
“Saturdays in town are more than shopping,” she said, adding they create energy, foot traffic, friendships and a thriving business community. “A strong farmers market on the edge of town supports local farmers, growers and artisans. It encourages visitors to explore Ligonier shops, restaurants and parks. It strengthens our local economy.”
The owner of Ligonier Paws on Main, Angel Tunstall, who said she is part of the group working on the farmers market, asked supervisors for their support.
“Many local residents and business owners involved in this effort are simply hoping to create something community-focused, transparent, manageable and supportive of local growers, producers, merchants, small businesses and families throughout the Ligonier Valley,” Tunstall said.
Dates for the Ligonier Valley Farmers Market included in the permit application are June 13 and 27, July 11 and 25, Aug. 8 and 29, and Sept. 12 and 26.
The Ligonier Country Market had been held for the past 25 years on the Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s property.
Board members of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority on Tuesday agreed to draft a lease agreement for Ligonier Country Market to use a parking lot at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity for the weekly event this year. The lease will be sent to market officials for review.