Farmers Market Opens Outdoor Season, Marks 50th Year
By BRIANNA FERGUSON
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA
The Oneonta Farmers Market returned to the outdoors on Saturday, May 2, kicking off its 2026 season at Huntington Park while marking a milestone 50th anniversary year.
The market, which relocated last year from Muller Plaza to the park location along Dietz Street, will continue to run every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through October 31. Organizers say plans are underway for a special anniversary celebration later this season, though details have not yet been finalized.
Tanya Moyer, treasurer of the Oneonta Farmers Market and a board member for the past decade, said preparations for the outdoor season begin months in advance and involve a range of behind-the-scenes efforts.
Those preparations include managing vendor applications, coordinating live music and working with community organizations that participate in weekly tabling events.
The move to Huntington Park in 2025 has proven successful, offering both convenience and atmosphere, Moyer said.
“It’s been a great relationship with the library,” referring to the Huntington Memorial Library, the city’s public library that is situated in Huntington Park. “There’s wonderful parking, a beautiful, green, open space,” Moyer described.
Despite the picturesque setting, Moyer—who also operates the Mulligan Creek Acres family farm in Sprakers—noted that weather remains one of the market’s biggest challenges, especially in the early part of the season.
“From the time we moved outside in May until July 4th weekend, it rained absolutely every Saturday morning,” Moyer said about last year’s 2025 season. “So, you know, being faced with that, the rain, the weather, it impacts foot traffic. Then it impacts our farmers that participate.”
Even so, organizers say the park setting continues to be a major draw for shoppers and vendors alike. Traffic always increases when the market moves outdoors from its “winter home” in the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center.
“Huntington Park is absolutely gorgeous,” Moyer said. “The [city] does an amazing job maintaining the park, just having that vibrant outdoor space, where people can come in and neighbors and farmers and community members—it’s just super exciting and it makes for a great summer, whether it’s raining or not.”
The market features a diverse mix of local vendors offering fresh produce, prepared foods and artisanal goods. Regular vendors include Bialecki Farms and Parsons Vegetable Farm for vegetables, ARK Floral for plants and bouquets, and Middlefield Orchard and Green Sun Orchard and Cidery for fruit, cider, and baked goods.
Prepared food options range from dumplings by Catskill MoMos to pastries by Maria’s Upstate Kitchen. Specialty items such as marshmallows and nut brittles from Chubby Bunny are also available. Moyer’s own farm, Mulligan Creek Acres, offers a variety of meats, including organically raised Berkshire pork, Jacob lamb, chicken and turkey.
In addition to shopping, the market emphasizes community engagement, hosting local nonprofits and organizations that share information and resources with visitors.
“Consistently, our goal is always to be a welcoming space for the community,” added Moyer.
Live music remains a regular feature, with performances typically scheduled from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The 2026 season lineup is still being finalized, as organizers continue to secure funding.
This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.
