Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market to open June 27

MT. PLEASANT - The Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market plans to open June 27 at McMillian Park in the Wright Family Pavilion.

The 2020 season will run through October, with markets held Wednesday evenings from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Vicki Messer, the Farmers Market manager, said she's especially excited to reopen following the governor's recent proclamation, which would allow craft vendors to take part in farmers markets.

'If I'm reading this correctly, it's sounding like it could almost be normal as long as we allow for social distancing,” Messer said.

Though the farmers market will be hosting a shortened season, Lisa Oetken, director of Main Street, said Market on Main will not be continuing this year. Main Street decided to discontinue the market in the downtown area, which has been held for three years, before the pandemic.

'We don't have a lot of vendors in Henry County and it felt like it was causing both markets to be a little thin,” Oetken explained.

Like other annual festivals and fairs, the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market saw a delay in opening this year. Usually the market is ready for business the Saturday before Mother's Day in May, but was pushed back due to public health regulations related to the coronavirus. To continue to meet safety and health guidelines, Messer said vendors will be even more spaced out than usual and will have 'increased hygiene practice.”

'The way the pavilion is set up, everyone had their own six foot spot. I'm thinking I'll put an additional six feet between them … my main thing is ensuring the safety of everyone,” Messer explained.

In addition to more space, Messer said she also will ask vendors to have hand sanitizer available at their booths.

With the loosening restrictions, Messer added she feels more comfortable putting on the farmers market.

'I didn't know if it was going to happen this year. There were so many rules, regulations, stipulations - it made me nervous,” she said, 'I really hope [these changes] aren't still around next year. The farmers market is a social event. It was more than just come shop and go. Friends come in and hang together, people sit at the picnic tables to talk.”

But with an opening date set, Messer is now contacting vendors and preparing for the market. The manager said there are about 9 steady vendors, with seasonal vendors also making appearances.

In the meantime, Messer has been promoting local producers on the farmer market's Facebook page.

'I know this has hit even the small, in-home businesses. I think they're going to be excited to hear that we're good to go,” Messer said.