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Two new outdoor markets are opening in Winterport in May. A new weekly farmers market, held in the parking lot of the Rolling Pin Cafe & Bakery, kicks off Saturday.
Starting at the end of May, the Winterport Evergreen Farm, located at 486 Monroe Road, will host a community market on the last Sunday of each month through September. The market will feature local farmers and artisans.
Andrew Norris, co-owner of the Rolling Pin Cafe & Bakery, which opened in February, said he and his husband, Jarrett, operated a small farmers market in Prospect when they ran the Prospect Country Store. They wanted to bring it to their new location.
“We have the space, and we knew it was something that Winterport didn’t have,” Norris said.
He thinks the new Winterport farmers market, officially called the Winterport Market on Main, will do better than the one in Prospect, because there is foot traffic downtown and slower speed limits.
The Winterport farmers market will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday. A local farmer will bring seedlings and plants and, later this season, produce. There will also be fresh squeezed lemonade and music. The cafe will be also open and stocked with extra baked goods, Norris said.
This Saturday, the Winterport Woman’s Club will hold its annual plant sale at the farmers market. The sale features a huge array of perennials dug from local gardens, said Lisa Hanson, the club’s vice president.
The market’s opening day coincides with the first weekend of the season for the popular Winterport Marketplace, a multi-vendor shop on Main Street with antiques, crafts and more, and Hanson expects a good turnout.
“It’s going to be happening in Winterport this weekend,” she said.
The Winterport Market on Main is still seeking more vendors, Norris said, particularly for vegetables, meat and eggs as well as farm-related crafts like handmade soaps and candles. Anyone interested can get more information at the bakery.
The monthly community market at Winterport Evergreen Farm kicks off May 31 from noon to 4 p.m. with kite flying and door prizes. The family-friendly event will feature more than a dozen vendors selling prepared foods, produce and crafts, according to Julia Kearns, who owns the farm with her husband, Sean.
The two markets complement each other and reflect a renewed vibrance and energy in Winterport, Kearns said.
“People are wanting to promote community activities and reasons to get together,” she said.
