Apparently Mother Nature has decided summer is over.
This past week has distinctly felt more like autumn, with days dawning cool and temperatures only rising to the mid-70s to low 80s. Or maybe we’re getting the spring we missed out on — it felt like we went straight from winter to summer and skipped the mild, misty days of spring, but this coming week is supposed to hover in the low- to mid-80s and likely bring daily showers.
While it may feel like summer is coming to an end, several of the events we usually associate with the hottest season aren’t over quite yet.
The Greater Morgantown Area is lucky to have several farmers markets throughout the warm months, and if you haven’t been to one yet, there’s still time.
The one you may be most familiar with is the Morgantown Farmers Market that sets up every Saturday morning downtown. The pavilion on Spruce Street plays host to a variety of vendors from 8:30 a.m. to noon and will continue to do so through Nov. 19 this year. After that, vendors switch over to the Winter Market at Mylan Park.
The Star City Farmers Market will be coming to a close sooner than the Morgantown Farmers Market. However, you can still find it bustling at the Star City Riverfront Park from 3-7 p.m. every Friday from now through the end of September. Similarly, the Arnettsville market will be open from 3:30-6 p.m. every Monday through the end of next month.
If you find that August and September pass by in a blur, there are few other farmers markets that hang on through October. The Community UMC market on Grafton Road will continue from 3-6 p.m. every Thursday, while the one at Cheat Lake will be open for business from 4-7 p.m. every Monday through “spooky season.”
There’s actually another farmers market that happens on the sly: Every Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the WVU Medicine Farmers Market takes over the East-West Concourse between J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital and WVU Health Sciences Center. This one goes weekly through Oct. 19, so you still have a few chances to stop by. Please note, though, that if you are not an onsite employee or a vendor, you’ll need to park at the Mountaineer Station Parking Garage or elsewhere and walk to the market.
The Morgantown Arts Walk isn’t technically a farmers market, but since you can buy food and several artisans and vendors who typically appear at the local markets can be found there, too, we’ll include it in the lineup. There are two Arts Walks left: Sept. 10 and Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in downtown Morgantown.
Farmers markets are a perfect way to support local businesses, farmers and artisans. They’re wonderlands of original artwork and decorative items, pottery, handmade and vintage clothes, homemade goodies, food trucks and, of course, fresh produce.
The weather may be getting chilly (or maybe it just feels that way after a scorching few months), but summer isn’t technically over yet but when it is, farmers markets will start to close up shop. Get out to one of these wonderful markets before they disappear for the year.
