Farm market finds new home, leader
Jun. 17—This year's farm market in Grove City will have a new manager and a new location.
Market at the Park kicks off this Thursday at Grove City Memorial Park off of state Route 58 in Grove City.
It's held 3 to 6 p.m. Thursdays through October in the parking area in front of the Keystone Shelter, said Cheri Heeter, market manager.
It's presented by Olde Town Grove City and Grove City borough, which owns the park and gave the market permission to set up there.
"I just really love the Grove City market," Heeter said.
The market got its start in 2006 next to the Joseph D. Monteleone Youth Festival Park in Olde Town, then it moved to College Avenue near South Broad Street.
It eventually moved back to the Youth Festival Park, and it started to outgrow that space in recent years, said Heeter, who is no stranger to the market.
She and her husband Tim have been a vendor at the market for a number of years, selling honey and other items from their Worth Township farm, Breezy Ridge Acres.
They will be selling once again this year along with more than a dozen other vendors who have signed up so far.
"I think that's great for the first day," she said.
Vendors will be bringing fresh produce, baked goods, jellies and jams, goat milk products, meat and more, all adhering to the market's "homemade, homebaked and homegrown" requirements that call for local goods.
Heeter volunteered her time with the market in the past, and she was more than happy to take over this year.
She's excited about the new location, which is at the front of the park just beyond the main entrance.
Market patrons will bear to the right once they pass the pond, and they can park near the vendors.
"I think we may find some new customers," she said of attracting park visitors.
If the market needs to expand, it can move to another part of the park, Heeter said.
There's also the Keystone Shelter itself; it provides cover from rain and electricity if needed.
Most vendors have canopies, so the market doesn't get canceled unless weather is severe.
Heeter is hoping to add live music and kids' activities, and she is looking for folks to volunteer their time and talents.
Lisa Pritchard, Olde Town volunteer, said they are very pleased with Heeter's willingness the manage the market. And the borough has been great to work with when it comes to the new location.
"It's the idea of having room to grow and spread out," she said.
Olde Town members are proud to have kept the market going, and they see it as a contribution to the community that benefits everyone.
"It improves the quality of life," Pritchard said.
It takes a lot of people behind the scenes to make it happen, and it's a great opportunity to support local businesses.
Vendors pay $5 per market day if they're not setting up every week, or $50 for the whole season.
For more information about the market or to become a vendor, call Cheri Heeter at 412-302-2121 or send a message through Facebook via "Grove City Market in the Park."
