‘Full and Vibrant’: Troy’s Waterfront Farmers Market moves inside for the season (Troy Record)
This story by Erica Bouska was published in the Troy Record on November 2, 2024.
Above: The Record, Nov. 2, 2024, page A1. Below: continued on page A2. Click either page to enlarge.
By Erica Bouska
ebouska@troyrecord.com
TROY, N.Y. — On Saturday, Troy’s Waterfront Farmers Market heads inside for the winter.
Open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the layout will look slightly different in the Atrium this year, said Board President Melanie O’Malley. It might take visitors a week or two to adjust their muscle memory, but they wanted to lessen the sprawl a little.
“I think it’ll feel more full and vibrant,” she said. “Overall, it’s going to be a really nice indoor market. A little cozier.”
A vendor with O’Malley’s Oven too, she added that the heating will hopefully work better this year, and they’ll be “dare I say, somewhat climate controlled.”
O’Malley said the winter market has slightly fewer vendors than the outdoor market’s five-block spread, dropping from almost 120 to around 60 to 80. But it’s to be expected. For example, the way several of their prepared food vendors cook is not “conducive” to being cooked indoors, she said.
Moving it inside is “critical,” said Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello. The vendors rely on it but so does their downtown. Other municipalities’ downtowns die in the winter, she said, but the market helps keep Troy’s and its businesses alive and thriving.
O’Malley said they work hard to balance both sides of their mission and provide goods year-round.
They offer a place for varied vendors to sell their products and to sell through the winter to help bridge the gap as the outdoor season closes. But they also want to offer their customers a
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Captions
The Troy’s Waterfront Farmers Market heads inside for the winter. (Courtesy of Troy Waterfront Farmers Market)
Troy’s farmers market Manager Steve Ridler outside the Atrium, the market’s home for the winter. (Courtesy of Troy Waterfront Farmers Market)
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wide range and a single place to find all that they need or want from a farmers market.
If one type of vendor can’t make it a certain week, O’Malley said they try to find a replacement for that Saturday.
“If they’re coming for a cheese, we want to make sure that that cheese or something comparable is going to be there,” she said. “That consistency is really key.”
O’Malley said they are also adding to the space this year. Similar to the project in the old Lansingburgh Price Chopper when it hosted the market during the pandemic, five to six paid local artists are working on murals in the Atrium.
The artwork will go up in the first few weeks of the market which will be fun to watch, she said. Not only does it add ambiance to the building, but it also helps make the indoor market measure up to the outdoor.
Inside, it is still integral to the area, O’Malley said, but because of its location and the weather, it doesn’t feel as entwined.
“The outdoor market is such a sort of destination. You know, we have the music, we have the streets of downtown Troy, galleries and it’s so interwoven with the community,” she said. “This is a really great way to showcase local artists … and also create a space that’s more vibrant for people to shop in.”
Though it’s the indoor market’s 23rd season, they are also working on a project to celebrate the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market’s 25th anniversary on May 20, 2025. Shoppers can send in photos of the market online or they can be scanned in person at the Market Information table.
Parking is also slightly different; the following is from the farmers market’s website. As with the outdoor market this year, RPI’s Blitman Residence Hall at 1800 6th Ave. is available to park in for farmers market go-ers.
The streets are available as marked as are the State Street Parking Garage, the 1st Street Parking lot, the 5th Avenue Parking Garage and the city-owned lots at 401 River St. and 299 Front St.
500 Federal St. is a privately owned lot, but the owner has allowed parking on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The empty lot of the former Uncle Sam Parking Garage is not available to park in and numerous people have been towed, the site warned.
O’Malley had no comment or news about the Atrium’s sale and what that could mean for the future of the market downtown. They all want it to find a permanent home and bring stability to the winter market, she said.
Mantello said they are determined to find that place. 1 Monument Square has often cropped up and in conversation Thursday, she mentioned the empty lot again as a landing spot next winter.
“Residents and businesses want to, they all agreed on the public portion of the project and the public portion included the farmers market and you know protecting that view shed and making the river connect with that property for more access,” she said about 1 Monument Square. “We are hopeful.”
Her goal is to have the permanent home it deserves by the fall of 2025, Mantello said. They are working to announce something in the next few months, but placing the farmers market in 1 Monument Square won’t happen overnight.
Their “second to none” farmers market should have a home that fits its needs, she said, and they cannot lose it. Even though the indoor is smaller, it keeps itself and the rest of downtown “thriving” the whole year, she said, and services businesses from across the Northeast.
“As a vendor, it’s always exciting to still have the opportunity for the farmers market and the revenue stream it brings,” O’Malley said. “As sales dip in the winter, it’s really critical to have this available to myself and other downtown businesses.
“As far as indoor winter farmers markets go, our farmers are bringing produce year-round, our specialty food producers are clanking it out,” she continued. “It’s a cut above the rest for sure.”
Read this story online at the Troy Record.