Get your grocery list and your shopping bags ready! The CityCenter Danbury Farmer’s Market started on June 19 and it is operating at full speed at its new home – the Danbury Railroad Museum, located at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. All COVID-19 precautions will be followed.

The Farmers Market was previously located at the Danbury Green. “We had to move as the city is planning to improve the area around the green - especially the sidewalks. That was supposed to start around now,” explained Peggy Zamore, Director/Nutritionist of the Danbury Farmers' Market Community Collaborative. 

Local, fresher, better tasting, nutritious and long-lasting produces are just some of the many reasons you should choose to visit the market. “Local produce brought to the market is typically picked that morning, so it has the most possible nutrient value and it lasts much longer in your home,” shared Zamore.

Food insecurity has impacted many of our local families during this pandemic. Another important reason to shop there is that the Danbury Farmers’ Market Community Collective (DFMCC) has incentive programs to help spend at the market.

Programs being run this season

Among the programs this year are doubling the value of SNAP benefits, including the new pandemic SNAP that everyone with children in the Danbury Public Schools will be receiving, matching WIC and Senior State market vouchers and incentives for vets with a vet ID.

Vendors and New Additions

Killam & Bassette Farmstead’s of South Glastonbury, José Flores of Danbury, New Milford Youth Agency/Sullivan Farms, Smith Acres of Niantic, Clatter Valley of New Milford and Brewster Pastry of Brewster, NY are some of the vendors, along with great new additions like DoggyLicious of New Milford, Maple Bank Farm of Roxbury, Douglass Timm of New Milford and Mitchell Farm of Southbury. 

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions will apply to all vendors and shoppers: 

“We believe that farmers markets provide essential food access to our community, and we will continue to do so as safely as possible during the public health emergency. There is no evidence that food is a source or transmission route for the virus,” said Zamore.

To keep farmers and shoppers safe, the Danbury Farmers’ Market and the City of Danbury Health Department have compiled protocols with guidance from state associations and the Centers for Disease Control. 

• Vendors will only sell fresh produce and ready-made food for carry-out.
• Everyone who attends the market is required to wear a mask/cloth face covering. 
• Market managers, staff/volunteers and vendors must wear gloves.
• Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever or dry cough should stay home.
• A maximum of 25 people will be allowed to enter the market at one time.
• Groups of families will not be permitted to shop together until the Governor’s social distancing order has been lifted.
• Vendors and shoppers are required to wash their hands at the designated handwashing stations prior to entering the market, and upon exit.
• Maintain proper social distancing - a space of 6’ between individuals.
• Shoppers will not be permitted to congregate.
• 6’ of space is required between vendors and shoppers with no more than 2 customers at a booth at a time.
• Vendors should use empty tables as a barrier between the customer and the produce/food.
• Shoppers will not handle any items on the vendors’ tables but, instead, will request what they want, and vendors will bag their purchases.
• No sampling of any kind is allowed. 
• Market managers will wipe down commonly used services, such as the market information table and EBT redemption devices (phones, card swipers), and have hand sanitizer available. 
• Market managers will provide signage to inform shoppers of the guidelines as they enter the market.
• Market managers will institute one-way movement, allowing for one point of entry and exit.
• Vendors are asked not to use cloth tablecloths to make it easier to sanitize surfaces; or place a sheet of plastic over the top of vendor tables which can be wiped down with sanitizer. 
• Vendors are encouraged to have one person to handle money and another to handle product.
• Vendors are encouraged to have touchless forms of payment (PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, etc.).
• Vendors should have their own supply of hand sanitizer and/or hand-washing stations for their personal use throughout the day.

The CityCenter Danbury Farmer’s Market will run every Friday from June 19 thru October 30. Complimentary parking will be available at the MetroNorth train station and also at the Vazquez Soccerchamp Sports store, right across from the market

For more information, or to become a vendor, please call 203-792-1711 or visit www.DanburyFarmersMarket.org.