GI Farmers Market moves to WNY Welcome Center

The Grand Island Farmers Market is moving to a new location starting this summer: the Western NY Welcome Center on Grand Island.

The market will now be held on Thursday evenings beginning July 11 and run through Oct. 10 from 4 to 7 p.m., to be held rain or shine. In the case of inclement weather, the market will take place indoors.

A variety of fresh, New York state grown fruits and vegetables, locally made artisan products, and an assortment of prepared foods will be featured at the market. Local community groups and businesses will be highlighted each week. Entertainment and activities will also be offered throughout the season.

Over the past several months, Grand Island Farms Incorporated has been working with the Taste NY Store at the Western NY Welcome Center and the New York State Thruway Authority to bring the Grand Island Farmers Market to the Welcome Center.

The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired WNY Welcome Center offers visitors a playground, a dog park and a picnic area. The farmers market will take place under the pergola, designed specifically with a local farmers market in mind.

Renee Day, manager of the Taste NY Store at the Western NY Welcome Center remarked, “Taste NY was launched to create opportunities for farmers and local producers to showcase their goods at retail locations. The Farmer’s Market at the Western NY Welcome Center provides us with a new outdoor venue to achieve this goal. In addition to bringing healthy, local food to our community, both Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County, the organization operating the Taste NY Store, and Grand Island Farms Incorporated focus on agricultural education. This spring our groups collaborated successfully on an Intro to Composting event and an Arbor Day celebration. We’re so pleased to be able to continue our working relationship with the farmers market. Our strategic location allows us to reach tourists and promote New York grown and produced products.”