By Geena Monahan–For the North Star Reporter
The North Attleborough Farmers Market will soon open, and while attendees can expect to see local favorites return, coordinator Andrea Slobogan spoke about plans for celebrating five years of growth and continued success.
The market will open Wednesday, June 4, and run every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. until Sept. 10.
“To me, it’s this amazing mix of food and artisans, it gives you that nice, eclectic feel,” said Slobogan. “We have people that have been very faithful coming back, because they love this community too. We hear a lot from the vendors that they love our market because we have such a great town and volunteers.”
As the chair of the Downtown North Attleborough Collaborative (DNAC), a town councilor and wife of a local business owner, Slobogan knows the importance of supporting small businesses and keeps that at the forefront of the market.
Going for quality over quantity, Slobogan tries to keep the number of steady vendors in the range of 25-35, which leaves room for new ones to drop in on a weekly basis. Slobogan said the goal is to make sure people have the opportunity to buy lettuce or homemade jam, but also shop for one-of-a-kind items.
“I go to a lot of these markets, and I feel like sometimes the idea of a lot of vendors sounds great, but as a consumer it gets overwhelming,” said Slobogan. “I like to make sure it’s a nice balance so that our vendors are being seen, and we try to make it so it’s not too many of the same.”
A new mascot will be joining in on the fun this year, Bertha the Beet, and Slobogan shared plans for a scavenger hunt for visitors of all ages. Each week, a printout of Bertha will be hidden at a different vendor table, and those who find her can fill out a raffle ticket for a chance to win a gift card to a downtown business. At the end of the season, three names will be pulled to win a large raffle basket full of North Attleborough goodies.
Giving back to the community is a goal of DNAC. Last year, $10,000 was donated to charitable programs, and this year the organization hopes to increase that $15,000. Christmas in July is one of the themed market nights visitors can look forward to, where children can visit Santa in his summer wear and pick out a present, free of charge.
Slobogan was excited to announce that the Boy Scouts will be in attendance again to set up a Gaga Ball pit for children to enjoy. To Slobogan, giving families a place to get fresh air, support local businesses and gather with friends is her favorite part of the market.
“A lot of the stuff that we’re trying to do just brings back that community vibe, that thing that you see in a Hallmark movie,” said Slobogan.
When asked what the future holds for the farmers market, Slobogan mentioned her hopes for bringing in a beer garden for patrons 21 and older to enjoy. Angle Tree Brewery owner John Connolly applied to the licensing board last year, but was denied. Slobogan hopes that open dialogue and pushing for the beer garden again this year will have a different result.
“We think it’s a fantastic opportunity, and we’ve had other breweries approach us, but we want to stay true and loyal to our North Attleborough best,” said Slobogan. “We hope that there will be another opportunity where it can be less of a ‘no’ and more of a ‘how can we make this happen?’”
Slobogan credited her hardworking volunteers for the work it takes to put on the market. Bob Klopfenstein and his wife Toni donates their time every week to provide music and live entertainment.
The list of additional volunteers Slobogan relies on to keep the market up and running and assist with other events DNAC puts on are: Deb Bettencourt, Amy Grounsell, Stacy Lamar, Tracy Magill, Kevin McCarthy and Caitlin O’Donnell.
“This group of volunteers, they’re so dedicated. I don’t think I can ask for anything and they wouldn’t ever say ‘no, I don’t want to do it,’” said Slobogan. “I’m really blessed to be around so many amazing people.”
More information on the farmers market and upcoming events hosted by the Downtown North Attleborough Collaborative can at nadowntown.com.