The Winter Farmers Market, operated through the Down to Earth Market, has been a part of the Larchmont-Mamaroneck community for many years, celebrating business owners and inspiring them to spread the word about their beloved products.
However, as wintertime approaches, new rules have been set for the weekly market. Unlike other years, it has been decided by the Down to Earth Market and the Larchmont council that the market will be relocated from the building at Harbor Island Park used before COVID-19 to its usual outdoor location in Larchmont, on the parking lot by the Larchmont train station. Lorraine Walsh, Mayor of Larchmont Village, announced that this change was due to the inability to use the building typically used and that the market would have been obligated to stay outside either way due to COVID-19 regulations. Dacotah Rousseau, an organizer of the Down to Earth Market also mentioned, “The safety of our shoppers, staff, and vendors is a primary concern.”
Unlike previous years, the market will open later, starting at 9:00 AM instead of 8:30 AM. In addition to this, the market will be closed for two weeks after 12/18 and will reopen in January. As mentioned by Justin Dastino, a member of the Larchmont Board of Trustees, “The market will be open to the public from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM from January through April 16, and 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM from April 23 through December 17.”
Other outdoor winter farmers’ markets have operated with success in Ossining and New York City for the past few years. Rousseau explained, “Being outdoors means that we have to be sensitive to the weather and we will cancel dates when the temperatures are dangerously low, there are very high winds, or [there’s] heavy snow.” In fact, Down to Earth Market highly encourages keeping an eye on their website or joining the email list to keep up to date on weather updates. Although the occasional winter frost may cancel the market, it is expected that on most weekends, the public will come out to enjoy the “fresh air, sunshine and safe socializing.” Although no market-wide heating system will be incorporated, vendors will come equipped with warm clothing for market hours, as should all shoppers.
In addition to the gourmet foods and specialty baked goods that are already present in the market, it is expected that there will be an expansion to include some local craft makers during the month of December. Rousseau announced the presence of, “a candle maker, soap and personal care product makers, a jewelry maker, a greeting card maker, a local fiber and fiber crafts farm, and holiday decorations and décor gifts maker over the next few weeks.”
All in all, the Down to Earth Market, though hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, has taken the initiative to reinvigorate the Larchmont Winter Farmers Market, as can be seen through the changed location and changed hours of the market. The market will be waiting at the Larchmont train station every Saturday morning, so head on down to discover the specialty goods that await!