The New Canaan Farmers Market will open May 9 under a new “drive-thru” model that requires those seeking fresh local food to register in advance for pickup, officials say. Launched around this time each spring, the popular Farmers Market will see shoppers purchasing produce and other items from a limited number of vendors in advance, and then scheduling their pickup times at the Center School Lot in preset intervals in order to avoid traffic congestion, according to New Canaan Director of Health Jennifer Eielson. No money will be exchanged at the market itself, she said. “This is an indicator that we are planning ahead for a reopening plan, and as part of that, you have to do incremental baby steps,” Eielson told NewCanaanite.com. “Part of getting back to normal this time year is the Farmers Market.
The New Canaan Farmers Market is celebrating its 20th season. The market will open on Saturday, April 27, 2019 and continue through Mid-December, pending weather conditions, from 10:00am to 2:00pm every Saturday, rain or shine. Nestled on the edge of downtown New Canaan, with a quick stroll to the market, one can easily see why it was voted “2005 Best Farmers Market of the Gold Coast” by the readers of the Moffly Publications local magazines and 2006 Best Farmers Market of Fairfield County by the readers of Fairfield County Weekly newspaper. From the scrumptious smell of a perfectly ripened peach to the ever-tantalizing tastings of the freshly-made pesto and tomato samples, it will be hard to resist such simply elegant cuisine.
With an eye on giving downtown New Canaan businesses a boost, town officials say they’re thinking about shifting the popular Farmers Market to a more central location. The idea of hosting the Saturday market in one of the lots behind Town Hall had come up about six years ago, but the prospect of an extensive capital project there helped put it on hold, according to First Selectman Rob Mallozzi. With that project finished and signals from some local merchants that they’re interested, Mallozzi said he’s ready to reopen the conversation. “I like the idea of having the Farmers Market in town and I agree absolutely that any foot traffic we can derive from having it a couple of blocks closer to town is a good thing,” he said. With approval from the town, the Farmers Market is slated to open Saturday, April 22 in its longtime location—the Center School parking lot off Maple Street.
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the New Canaan Food Pantry, we would like to thank the United Methodist Church for the generous grant they have given us. This grant, in conjunction with ACME Markets in New Canaan, has made it possible for The Food Pantry to provide our clients with a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner. Our families will have all the items needed to celebrate with a traditional feast —cheese and crackers, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, carrots, olives, vegetables, butter and pies. Baskin Robbins has also generously donated ice cream for each family. Gazy Farms, members of the New Canaan Farmer’s Market, has provided the fresh vegetables and produce for a special celebration.
Each high schooler only has four summers in New Canaan. This year the class of 2015 graduated on June 18, giving teenagers 70 full days of summer, until the Aug. 27 back-to-school start date. New Canaan teens have about 280 days of summer in total through their high school years to try and experience new things, boost their college resume, and most importantly have fun. Factor in the snow days that add extra dates to the school calendar, the fall sports preseason that take up a week of the sunshine, and doctors appointments that parents have decided to squeeze in before the school year, there really isn’t that much time for high schoolers to experience everything that New Canaan has to offer throughout the summer. Here’s a list I came up with of adventures, opportunities, and experiences that all high schoolers should take advantage of in New Canaan, whether these tasks can be completed in the remaining weeks of this summer or will have to wait until next summer.
