Great Barrington — The Great Barrington Farmers’ Market has announced a new, central downtown location for the 2015 season after one season at the Great Barrington Fairgrounds (GBFG), and many previous years at the old train station on Castle Hill Avenue.
The fresh, local food and farm-to-table institution will set up shop at 18 Church Street, in a parking lot owned by Jane Iredale, founder and president of Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics. The company’s international headquarters are now stationed in the renovated Bryant School building down the street.
The move is in response to merchants’ requests to bring the market back into the downtown commerce hive, according to Market Manager Howard Lefenfeld. Some business owners said they saw a fall-off in Saturday business when the Market was held at the Fairground off Route 7. The Market runs mostly during the height of the tourist season, and for years, those with young children have made it a tradition to go to David Grover’s concerts behind Town Hall, before or after going to the Market. Many would continue on into town for shopping or lunch.
Lefenfeld said the Market had “worked an amicable agreement with Iredale” for the space after it hadn’t been able to agree on the terms of a contract with the Fairground, though last year was a good year for vendors at the site.
Lefenfeld would not comment on what financial arrangements had been concluded between the Farmers’ Market and Iredale, or whether the parking lot would be rent free, but he did note that Iredale had always been “generous,” with the community. “This is a win-win for everyone,” he said.
Indian Line Farm’s Elizabeth Keen, who is also on the Market’s Steering Committee, said she had “the utmost respect for what [the Fairground] is trying to do with their property.” This move, she added, “doesn’t say that we don’t support the Fairground. We weren’t able to come out with a contract that was mutually beneficial to both parties.”
“We as a group want the Fairground to succeed, and we believe in their mission,” Keen added.
Customer parking has always been a thorny issue for the Market, and Keen says the downtown Market will be no different from other downtown markets. “We will educate people about where they can park, and people will have to be creative,” she said. On the flip side, the Market will get “walk down traffic” from the neighborhoods, she noted.
“Parking is going to be the biggest challenge,” said North Plain Farm’s Sean Stanton, who is also a member of the Selectboard. Stanton said he is “excited” about the new location, and he hoped that any money saved on low or nonexistent rent at the new space would be used for increased advertising. His vendor fees have not changed, he said.
Berkshire Grown Executive Director Barbara Zheutlin said her organization, which supports all farmers’ markets and holds its own winter and holiday markets, “hopes the move is good for both the Market and the Fairground. We hope both continue to thrive. We’re big supporters of both.”
GBFG issued this statement: “The success of small scale producers, and consumers’ access to their good food, is central to the quality of life for the community and to the mission of the Fairgrounds. We wish all the local markets good success in supporting farmers and customers. We welcomed the GB farmers’ market because we believed our missions to be in good alignment and worked hard last year to support a mutually successful season. We looked forward to continuing to be a partner this year, and learning of their decision to move, we wish them well in their new location. We are planning a full summer of opportunities for the community to engage with the all-volunteer effort to restore the Fairgrounds.”
