The West Chester Market will be every 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday through Sept. 30. The library’s address is 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.
The market will also celebrate National Farmers Market Week on Aug. 12 and have a Labor Day Weekend Market on Sept. 2.
The West Chester Market is a producer-only market — so everything must be grown locally, or handmade within 100 miles of West Chester. Many of the market’s 25 to 30 weekly vendors are from Butler County.
“We have a growing level of interest in vendor booths, so patrons that visit The Market will see different vendors all the time and get to shop for a variety of items including crafts, baked goods, fresh produce and handmade goods. Guests will find something different every time they’re there,” Wilson said.
This is the second summer the Market has been held at MidPointe Library West Chester. It is a convenient location for patrons visiting the library and there’s plenty of easily accessible, free parking.
“Since it’s our Bicentennial year, I will share a little bit of history. The West Chester Market was started by the Rosselot family, a prominent farming family in our community. The West Chester Market began in a business called The Feed Barn that was operated by the Rosselot family. They are a multigenerational family here in West Chester, and even as late as the 1990′s, The Market was held at The Feed Barn on Cincinnati-Dayton Road,” Wilson said.
She said, “When we opened The Square at Union Centre, which has been about 15 years ago now, West Chester wanted to bring The Market to The Square because The Square was all about being this living room, or public gathering space. So, initially, The Rosselot family ran the market on The Square. They moved it from their business at The Feed Barn to The Square,” Wilson said.
West Chester has continued to preserve the farmer’s market tradition with The Market. It has been held at various spots on The Square - on The Square, in the roundabout, and on Centre Pointe. The Market moved to The MidPointe Library West Chester parking lot last summer with the HILLS Properties construction underway.
“The MidPointe Library has been so supportive, and they enjoy so much hosting The Market that we really feel like this is going to be the home for The Market, moving forward. It’s easy to access and there’s plenty of parking,” Wilson said.
The West Chester Market will feature fruits, vegetables, and other fresh, seasonal produce, such as tomatoes, strawberries and watermelon. Sweet corn is also popular in the summer. Area bakers will sell breads, cookies, and pastries and artisan food makers will offer gourmet popcorn, breads, jams/jellies, kombucha, pickles, syrup, and salsa.
“The Market is really the ultimate showcase of small business. So, the vendors there are cottage industry. They make or grow the products on their property, or in their homes, and they bring it here for the community,” Wilson said.
Eggs, meats, honey, plants and flowers are available. Other local vendors will sell hand-knit and sewn items, essential oils, soap, paintings, handmade jewelry, candles and wax melts.
For a complete schedule, or more information each weekly event, visit the West Chester Market Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WestChesterMarket or the website at www.westchesteroh.org for a complete list of vendors.
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