Brockport Farmers Market offers special events

The fall harvest season is in full swing, making a walk down Market Street in Brockport Sunday mornings a sensory treat. Countless varieties of pumpkins, peppers, apples and squash catch the eye while the rich smells of hot apple cider, homemade doughnuts and fresh roasted coffee fill the air. Friends meet and conversation and laughter fill the air.

A series of special events has been scheduled for the Village of Brockport's Market Street Farmers Market. A mix of health, social and cultural events is planned. "We want to keep things fresh and interesting as we close out the harvest season," according to Carrie Maziarz, Farmers Market manager.

On Sunday, October 3, the focus will be on nutrition, healthy eating and exercise with a special booth staffed by representatives of Oak Orchard Health System. Food samples will be offered.

On October 31, the last day of the market, a special Mexican Holiday, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), celebration is planned for Halloween. Festivities are scheduled between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the market and will include traditional activities such as pumpkin carving, calaveras de azucar - sugar skull making, a traditional paper-cutting craft known as papel ticado, and the creation of Halloween mascaras (masks).

Many of the growers who participate in the farm market rely on Mexican and migrant labor to plant, cultivate and harvest the very crops brought to the market. "Through this event, we acknowledge their culture and their contribution to our community and our economy. Their presence, like that of the college, contributes greatly to the cultural dynamic of the greater Brockport area," said Maziarz, who is also vice mayor of the Village of Brockport.

The market is open every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October 31.