SAFELY INDOORS
Saratoga Farmers Market moves indoors at Wilton Mall
The Saratoga Farmers Market has officiallymoved indoors for its winter season. Hosted for the second year by the Wilton Mall, the farmers market has over 50 vendors for visitors to shop. Measures are in place to keep shoppers and vendors safe while the pandemic continues to pose a threat.
“It took a lot of reconfiguring tomove it inside,” admitted Emily Meagher, market administrator for the Saratoga Farmers Market. “We spread everyone out - there’s six feet between each vendor. Figuring out how to make everything safe indoors is always a challenge, but so far so good.”
The market moved inside last week, taking over the mall’s food court area and extending all the way out to the fountain. Because the majority of the market is now in an indoor space (a few hearty vendors are choosing to remain outside), safety guidelines are inplace that must be followed. Masks must be worn at all times and social distancingmust be maintained, even when standing in line. Hand sanitizer stations are located throughout the market, and signs remind customers to “keep itmoving” and “let the vendors serve you.”
“The added bonus of being indoors is that we get a lot ofmall support to enforce the rules,” Meagher said.
The market is currently at max capacity, with a
"We spread everyone out - there’s six feet between each vendor."
— Emily Meagher, market administrator for the Saratoga Farmers Market
waitlist. Meagher says the market size has been growing steadily over the years. It’s one of the reasons the market moved to its current location- it outgrewthe last one.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” Meagher said of the indoor mall space. “There’s so much space in here. It’s been a great location for us so far.”
Market vendors seem to agree withMeagher. A constant refrain was howmuch more space the current location has, including ample parking.
“It’s been slightly quieter since we moved inside, but things pick up right before Christmas, so it’ll get busier,” commented Kim Kelley, working for Mugzy’s Barkery, a vendor that sells organic dog treats. This is Mugzy’s Barkery’s fourth year with the Saratoga Farmers Market.
“I like it much better here, there’s so much more space,” said Kelley. “It’s easier to move around.”
Gretchen Louise Tisch, owner of Feathered Antler, which sells handmade and handpainted art and gifts, is enjoying not just the indoor venue, but the market itself.
“I like it inside here because we get mall traffic and market traffic,” Tisch said. “I like the community of vendors. Everyone’s really friendly and happy to be here. The mall brings a different customer base, so I get people who wouldn’t normally find my store.”
Rebecca Dennison, who works at the Sushan Valley Hydro Farms table, agrees that being in the mall is a great way to attract more and different customers.
“I like it, it’s more open here,” she commented. “I’ve been in many different venues, and this is very nice. It brings a lot of customers themarket wouldn’t normally get, and they can multitask - go to the market, then go shopping. And the mall staff is fabulous.”
Trish Nusbaum, the “Food Florist,” is on her fifth year at the market. She’s one of the vendors that prefers to stay outdoors year-round - though in her case, it’s out of necessity. Formost of the winter months, The Food Florist operates out of a food truck. Getting it into the mall would be a challenge, to say the least.
“Right now, the truck is at the Delmar market until it ends, then it will be here,” Nusbaum said. “I have the best crew in the world. We do several markets, and we like them all equally. They all have their own fun personalities. I do like being at themall - I think it’s a great way to repurpose the space. I feel very grateful that we had this location to come to. It benefits the whole community, being able to use this space.”
The Saratoga Farmers Market operates every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will remain inside the Wilton Mall until the end of April, then move back outside in May.
For the latest guidelines and vendor news, visit the market’s website at www. saratogafarmersmarket.org or follow it on Facebook or Instagram.