CHICOPEE – The Center Fresh farmers market will open in Chicopee Center this June. The market will feature a variety of local vendors and will run every Thursday from 1  to 6 p.m. through October.

According to Julie Copoulos, director of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, one goal of the market is to bring fresh food sources to people in need.

“The city of Chicopee is very excited to be a partner in this farmer’s market. It started as a way to bring fresh food options to a place in the city that obviously has been hit hard by COVID[-19]. Chicopee Center certainly has a high rate of food insecurity and so the city of Chicopee is really committed to alleviating that,” said Copoulos.

The market is being created through a partnership between the city and the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, along with assistance from federal Community Development Block Grants. These grants will double the amount of fresh food families of low-income can purchase using SNAP benefits.

The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce has already secured a partnership with Bardwell Farm that will allow people to purchase a farm share of fresh, seasonal vegetables, also known as Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA). The produce will then be delivered to the market for customers to pick up.

Copoulos said that this will be a great way for members of the community to purchase and receive healthy food options while also supporting the market and its other vendors.

“Anybody who wants to pick up their fresh CSA will be able to buy into their program and pick up their vegetables every week at the farmer’s market,” she said.“It’s wonderful for us because it ensures that people aren’t just buying into their farmshare, they’re also buying into the market and giving us a little bit of security.”

Another goal of the market is to get people out to the downtown area and supporting the local businesses there. According to Copoulos, the market has partnered with businesses and community members who were interested in this initiative such as Chicopee FRESH, Goodworks Coffee House, Mass Development and the Chamber.

“We’re excited to bring more foot traffic downtown and hopefully the local businesses will benefit from that,” she said.

Most recently, Copoulous said that the market has secured a partnership with Auntie Cathie’s Kitchen, a well-known gluten free bakery in the area. Auntie Cathie’s Kitchen will be parking a food truck at the farmer’s market the last Thursday of every month.

“We’re trying to get a different food truck to be at the market every week,” said Copoulos.

The Chamber is in the process of reaching out to other vendors and food trucks for the market. So far, the market is expected to also have a mushroom stand and a beekeeper who will sell local honey. Any small business interested in selling at the market is encouraged to reach out to the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce.

The Valley Opportunity Council also runs a market on Wednesdays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Copoulos said that the Center Fresh farmers market will work to complement that market rather than compete with it. According to Copoulos, having both of these markets will be a great opportunity to create more sites for people to walk to and get fresh food all over the city.

“We’ve been talking about how we can partner and make these two markets stronger together. We are anticipating that they will be complementary to each other. We’re not going to be competing for vendors and we are hoping to do some cross-promotion so we can really get the word out that you can walk to the farmer’s markets in your community,” she said.

The Center Fresh farmers market will be following all COVID-19 guidelines. At this time, Copoulos said it looks like the market will be able to feature live entertainment as well as its many vendors. She is most excited for the positive attention and opportunities it will bring to downtown Chicopee.

“It’s going to bring positive attention to the downtown by bringing creative entrepreneurs and vendors down here,” she said. “I just think it’s a wonderful thing that Chicopee will continue to be promoted as a vibrant community doing new, fresh, exciting things.”

Those interested in learning more about the Center Fresh farmers market are encouraged to visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/centerfreshchicopee/.