2016 Petworth Community Market fundraiser at Chez Billy

The Petworth Community Market will kick off its eighth season on Saturday, May 6.

This year’s market will feature 20 vendors offering produce, meat, cheese, prepared foods and everything in between. The market takes place on 9th Street between Taylor and Upshur Streets. (Remember, there is no parking on this street from 7am – 1:30pm on Saturdays throughout the season).

They have a Kick-Off Fundraiser and Silent Auction on Monday, May 1, 6:30-9:30pm, at Ten Tigers Parlour. If you’d like you attend and support the market, you can get tickets online via EventBrite.

I sat down with the market’s board chair, Lauren Anderson, to learn more about what the 2017 season will look like.

Rachel Maisler: What can neighbors expect at this year's Petworth Community Market?

Lauren Anderson: Neighbors can gather at 9th and Upshur Streets NW each Saturday from May6 through November 18 to:

Shop local food and goods from more than 20 vendors offering fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese, meat, fermented foods, baked goods, prepared foods, kombucha, coffee, cocktail vinegars, and more (you can find a list of vendors on the Market's website);
Listen to performances by local musicians; and
Visit the Community Canopy, which features local nonprofit organizations who are looking to connect with the local community.

RM: Are there any programs to help make the market accessible to all our neighbors?

LA: We are continuing to match customers’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) funds up to $20 per customer per week. Our market also plans to continue to work with DC Greens to offer Produce Plus, a program funded by the DC Department of Health that offers eligible customers $10 to spend on fruits, vegetables, and cut herbs, and the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription (FVRX) Program, through which healthcare providers give families innovative prescriptions that can be spent on fruits and vegetables at our market.

RM: What's different this year from years past?

LA: We are excited to welcome a couple of new vendors this season: Slim’s Dinner will offer dessert baked goods; and Short Eats will be serving rice and curry bowls and Sri Lankan street food.

We are still reviewing and accepting vendor applications on a rolling basis and will announce additional vendors as our board approves them. Vendors can apply through our website.

In response to customer feedback, this season will feature more tables and chairs where neighbors can gather to enjoy the music and other market activities.

We’re also looking to feature more children’s programming and plan to send out a request for proposals from local organizations who want to host activities at our market.

Finally, we are excited to have joined Wholesome Wave’s National Nutrition Incentive Network this year. Through our membership, we are connected to state of the art tools and resources from farmers markets around the country. We are excited to see what we can learn that will help us continue to increase access to healthy and fresh foods for all members of our Petworth community.

RM: Are there any special events at the market coming up in the next couple weeks?

LA: We hope you’re able to join us for our Kick-Off Fundraiser and Silent Auction on Monday, May 1, 6:30-9:30pm, at Ten Tigers Parlour. If you’d like you attend and support the market, you can get tickets online via EventBrite.

RM: How else can neighbors get involved?

LA: This market is run on the passion and contributions of neighbors. There are a number of ways people can help out:

Our all-volunteer board of directors is always open to feedback from the Petworth community. People can feel free to reach out to me if there’s something they’d like to see (or not see) at the market. We usually send out a survey in the fall. You can also:

Attend our Kick-Off Fundraiser and Silent Auction or make a separate donation to our market.
Volunteer on an as needed basis to help administer our SNAP/WIC Matching Dollars program and/or support market events.
Join our all-volunteer board of directors to regularly support our marketing, fundraising, programming, and operations.
Sign-up for our weekly seasonal newsletter for market updates.

Anyone interested in learning more about opportunities to get involved can email Lauren.