Mannington's Farmers Market season is back every Saturday
May 23—MANNINGTON — Mannington's Farmers Market and Artisan Market is back for the third summer in a row.
The Mannington Farmer's Market and Artisan Market is hosted by Mannington's Women's Club and is a West Virginia Department of Agriculture sanctioned event. It is held in Traders Alley, off of Market Street and behind Miller's Daughter and the Mannington Elk's Lodge in the city parking lot from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.. The first market of the season was held last Saturday, but it will run every Saturday until the second week of September, rain or shine.
Mannington Mayor Lora Michael said the first market of 2023 went well. There are typically between five and six vendors who specialize in a variety of goods, but more vendors join as the summer goes on.
Typically, there are vendors selling fresh kettle corn popped over an open fire from J and M Farms, vegetables from Ray Carr, peaches (in season) and vegetables from Mike Cummings, two or three baked goods vendors, farm fresh eggs and a Scentsy dealer.
Michelle and Jeff Pethtel are the duo behind J and M Farms' fresh popped kettle corn. Jeff cooks the corn in a cast iron kettle made in Amish country. They have been participating in the market since it started and live in Metz, just north of Mannington. But, they are in Mannington all the time, either for work or for their children's schooling, Michelle Pethtel said.
The Pethtels agree that the farmer's market is another way to for the community to come together as well as bring people to Mannington.
"I love a good farmers market and I love the fact that people get up in the morning and they can come to the market. Then they could go have breakfast in town, go to some of the other downtown shops and kind of spend the morning floating around Mannington. Then start their day at noon and do what they need to go do," Mayor Michael said.
Pethtel shared similar sentiments.
"We love just interacting with people in the community of Mannington. I like being there to support the community, talk to friends, talk to others that are involved, and participate in it. ... It's something to bring into the community and something to support and to be a part of," Michelle Pethtel said.
For more information or to become a vendor, check out the Women's Club of Mannington Facebook page. The cost to be a vendor is $10 monthly and vendors are able to set up for the market at 8 a.m.
Reach me at sshriver@timeswv.com or 304-367-2549.
