Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association has
an agreement with the Saratoga Spa State
Park, managed by the New York State Office
of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation,
to hold its Saturday winter market at
the park’s historic Lincoln Baths building
at 65 South Broadway, Saratoga Springs,
adjacent to the National Museum of Dance.
Each year from November through April
on Saturdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.,
the market hosts farms and vendors selling
a range of locally grown and produced
items. The market will be able to accommodate
dozens of vendors in approximately
7,000 square feet of space.
“We are very excited about this new location for the winter market, as it is easy to get to from downtown Saratoga, surrounding neighborhoods, and the Northway,” said Charles Holub, president of Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association. “It’s a fitting capstone to our 35th anniversary year, to move into an expanded winter market home. This new site at the state park puts the market in a historic building in a beautiful outdoor setting, which many of our customers already enjoy for weekend recreation.”
Holub said ample parking is available in the lots surrounding the building. The building is handicap-accessible.
For the past several years, the market occupied a gymnasium and nearby hallways at the Division Street elementary School on Saratoga’s west side. The market was forced to find a new location this year due to a legal requirement raised by the Saratoga Springs City School District concerning non-profit use of school facilities.
According to park documents, the original Lincoln Bathhouse was built in 1915 and expanded in the early 1920’s. The structure subsequently was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1928-1930. it had various periods of inactivity during its history, underwent extensive renovations in 1989, and most recently ceased operation in 2003. Presently, sections of the lincoln Bathhouse are used to house the regional park police offices and offices of the court system.
Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association, established in 1978, maintains a “producer only” standard for all of its markets, requiring its members to grow or produce their goods in Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, or Washington counties to ensure that products are fresh and not purchased for re-sale. The market makes a few exceptions to the rule for foods not available locally, among them fresh fish and mushrooms. The association said that by adhering to this standard, the market ensures that sales provide economic, ecological, and social support to local communities.
More information: www.saratogafarmersmarket.org.