Park View, D.C.

After an absence of several years, a farmers market will again serve the greater Petworth area when it opens on Friday, June 25, 2010. The location of the reborn market is 9th Street, NW, between Taylor and Upshur Streets. Hours of operation have been set at 3-7 p.m.

Market organizers selected Friday for the Petworth Market, in part, due to the lack of Friday markets in the city and the abundance of Saturday markets to choose from. The location was selected for a variety of reasons — including the significant amount of green space along the west side of 9th, the ease of closing off 9th, and the location’s proximity to both the Metro and Upshur Street. Thus far, there has been a good deal of support from both residents and businesses in the area.

When the market opens this week it will be with a collection of vendors that include bread, produce, and arts & crafts.  More details are expected by Thursday morning and will be available at a dedicated Web site still under development (http://www.petworthmarket.org). For anyone interested in being a participating vendor, especially with arts & crafts, spaces are still available and application forms are available here.

A sign for the earlier farmers market is still posted on Georgia Avenue

According to EcolocityDC, the Petworth Market will be the only market in Ward 4. A community market serving the area was first undertaken in 2004. That market was located in Ward 1 on the southwest corner of Georgia and New Hampshire Avenues, where a new CVS is currently being built. After promising 2004 and 2005 market seasons, the market fell apart in the 2006 season.

The undoing of the earlier market was largely due to the amount of work required to operate a market. Community members had organized and run the market the first two years. Needing a break from the demands of running it, a manager was hired for 2006. The manager did not prove capable and the market folded at the end of that season.

The Georgia Avenue Petworth Farmers Market ran successfully for more than two years (Image courtesy of Terri Pendleton)

Still, for active communities able to devote the time and work necessary, farmers markets offer many rewards. Among the benefits the Petworth community aims to reap — in addition to making fresh produce more accessible — are increasing the visibility and vitality of the community. By including arts & crafts and entertainment the market aims to provide something for everyone, which in turn, will help to strengthen the neighborhood.

Additional images of the Georgia Avenue Petworth Farmers Market after the jump (more…)