ENFIELD, CT – Mark your calendars for July 26 for the Grand Opening of the 2020 Enfield Farmer’s Market – which not only provides healthy food and fun items, but also has outdoor entertainment for free.  

Head to the Town Green between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to hear a live performance by Noah Lis, contender on Season 6 of The Voice.  Lis, a singer/songwriter from Palmer, MA, “turned two chairs” during his blind audition of “Me and Mrs. Jones,” and chose to join Blake Shelton’s team.    

In addition to the entertainment that will be provided by different performers throughout the farmers market season, there will be at least 35 vendors, including local farmers and craftspeople.  Locals can purchase farm fresh produce, delicious sweets, handmade craft items, and gifts for the whole family.  Some examples of what will be available for sale are fresh flowers, homemade biscotti, beaded jewelry, soy candles, dog treats and accessories, honey, duck eggs, artwork, coffee beans, handcrafted goat soap, green cleaning supplies, and of course, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  

The Market will be a new venture for Paul Luken of Little Ark Farm in Enfield, and he expects it will be “an interesting experience.”  He will be selling honey from his bee hives, and eggs from the 30 ducks he raises.  He will also be selling “acidified” food, which he explained is food such as jam, jelly, and pickles that have a pH below 4.3, which ensures there will be no bacteria present.  If the pH is not naturally that low in a food, vinegar can be added to bring it to a safe level.

Sasa Skerla, chef at the Pierogi Queen Bakery and Deli, will be selling 15 different flavors of frozen pierogis, and offering fresh samples of several different types.  Some of the flavors offered in the frozen pierogis (made in his Enfield store) are potato, cheese, meat, and seasonal flavors such as strawberry and blueberry.  Skerla provided the catering services for last year’s inaugural Farm to Table Dinner on the Green, an event which organizers hope to be able to host again this Fall.

If you’re looking for more “good, clean fun,” visit Christina Odegard of Juniper Loft Soap Company.  She makes small batches of goat’s milk soap, which she says is “so good for your skin,” especially if it’s dry.  

“There’s so much lather,” she says, “and it cleans really well and is very moisturizing,” a benefit of the glycerin it contains.  She features different scents for each season, and believes it’s “an inexpensive way to elevate your mood.”  Some of the favorite summer scents that will be available are Bar Harbor Blueberry, Nantucket Bramble, and Far Away Cay, an exotic island summery smell.  Another popular choice is Sparkling Water, which she describes as a “clean, guy-ish, watery smell.”  

The farmer’s market will run on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., from July 26 through Sep. 27.  Connie Provencher is chairing the event this year, under the auspices of the Town of Enfield’s Development Services. The farmers market will be located at the Enfield Town Hall at 820 Enfield St.

For more information or to register as a vendor, visit https://www.enfield-ct.gov/759/Enfields-Regional-Farmers-Market.