Acton Outdoor Market Returns to Prospect Park with Fresh Offerings and Community Spirit
The much-anticipated Acton Outdoor Market is making its grand return to Prospect Park, promising an exciting array of fresh produce, baked goods, craft cider, VQA wines, and artisanal crafts every Thursday from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Located at 30 Park Avenue, the market aims to be a weekly highlight for both residents and visitors.
The market features a diverse selection of vendors, each bringing their unique offerings to the community. Among them is Jody Oram, Owner of Jiggin Jody’s Seafood, who is enthusiastic about the opportunity to reel in Acton’s customer base. “If I can get a decent turnout here, I’d like to come back because we do have a decent customer base here in Acton. So, we’re excited about that,” Oram shared. He also highlighted the advantage of the Thursday time slot, noting, “The thing about the farmers markets is there’s many of them, but the problem is that it’s usually always Saturday morning. There’s only one Saturday out of a week. So the fact that they’re doing a Thursday gives you an opportunity to try it and see what works out. It gives you a different time slot.”
Matthew Galliford, Downtown Acton BIA Manager, expressed his optimism for this year’s market. “We actually have a booming market this year, a lot of new vendors coming out, a lot more diversity in vendors as well,” Galliford said. He mentioned the introduction of a market loyalty card to reward patrons: “Come out each week, and as long as you’ve made a purchase, come see me. I’ll give you a signature, and at the end of four weeks, you’ll end up receiving a gift from the BIA. It’s our way of saying thanks a bunch!”
Galliford noted an interesting shift in customer patterns from the previous year. “Last year, we found four o’clock was a slow start; things didn’t really pick up until about five. We were pretty much at five o’clock capacity at four this year, so we’re wondering how it ends because usually the last hour of the day was always a busy one. So it seems to have flipped, and we’re going to see what happens, but we’re pretty steady still.”
Another enthusiastic vendor is the husband-and-wife team, Liana and George Koziarz, owners of Rodyna. “The name of our company is Rodyna, and that means family in Ukrainian,” George explained. After over 30 years in corporate IT, they decided to pursue their passion. “We finally had enough, and we said, look, if we’re working 16, 17 hours a day, let’s do something that we like,” George said. Liana added, “We love this park. We love this market. It’s great. We get to know people on a more personal level. It’s a nice, beautiful atmosphere. Beautiful. Love it here.”
Rodyna’s products, named after Ukrainian family members, cater to all ages and even pets, featuring delights such as Baba’s pierogies, Papa’s Sausages, Zia’s Pizza, and Vika’s Sauerkraut.
Despite challenges like wind damage, which has already claimed two tents, the vendors remain upbeat. “All local, all fun, all the time,” Galliford summed up the market’s spirit.
The Acton Outdoor Market is set to be a vibrant, weekly celebration of community, local produce, and crafts. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support local businesses and enjoy some of the best of what Acton has to offer.
Comentários