EASTON, Pa. – The first annual West Ward Market has been declared a success not just as an economic venture but as one that fostered community development, according to the Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP).
And there already are plans for it not only to return next May, but to add new elements and to get even more of the neighborhood involved, organizers said.
The market on Twelfth Street between Paxinosa Elementary School and Cottingham Stadium drew about 500 attendees every Wednesday beginning in June and ending in September, they said.
“We wanted to nourish the neighborhood beyond offering fresh food,” Megan McBride, director of the Easton Market District, said.
“Creating a sense of pride in the community and the feeling that the West Ward has good things going on is a big step forward in strengthening the neighborhood, fostering a sense of place and bringing people together.”
- The West Ward Market has wrapped up its inaugural year and saw success with roughly 500 visitors each Wednesday
- Megan McBride, director of the Easton Market District, hopes the market will come back next year to continue to foster the sense of community it brought this year
- Future plans for the market could include shuttle services for seniors, volunteer programs for West Ward residents, and kids programs
Most of the market’s attendees came from the West Ward. The market used interactive push-pin map surveys that let visitors share where they came from, McBride said.
In addition to West Ward shoppers, about 15% of patrons also participated in the Easton Farmers’ Market, also run by the GEDP.
Community building
The market saw people from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, ages and ethnicities in attendance, organizers said.
It also brought out a diverse array of vendors.
Hacienda Los Agaves, a West Ward restaurant and regular market vendor that offers authentic Mexican cuisine, noticed a jump in sales owner Miguel Morales credits to its involvement with the market.
Nearly 20 businesses and organizations participated this year including Community Bike Works, Easton/Phillipsburg Branch of the Greater Valley YMCA and the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.
There also were opportunities for people to learn about gardening through programs held by GEDP’s Easton Garden Works, and even about bees and pollinators through the Wildlands Conservancy. Each week, a different community program was held at the market.
“Bringing organizations to the West Ward helped connect neighbors with resources that they might not have known existed,” said Tanya Ruiz, interim manager of the West Ward Community Initiative and a West Ward resident.
That’s all in addition to a variety of food and beverage options as diverse as bakeries, probiotic beverages and fresh produce from farms. There also were items such as fresh flowers and dog treats.
GEDP said in a statement that the market's location at N. 12th St. now is recognized as a central gathering space and outdoor event venue for the West Ward neighborhood, similar to what Centre Square represents downtown.
The future of the WWM
With the success of this year’s market, McBride said the GEDP is looking to expand it. That would include additional educational programs for children and the community.
“We’re excited about launching potentially a new kids program,” McBride said. “It’s called The Power of Produce. It’s kind of an established kids program put together 10 years ago with the purpose of introducing kids to fresh produce, eating locally and getting kids to try things they haven’t tried before.”
The program currently runs at Easton Farmers Market.
To continue to build on the community fostered this year, McBride also said there are plans to bring shuttle buses to seniors in and around the Easton area so they can participate in next year’s market.
“We’re hoping this year to run a trolley that will run around market hours,” McBride said. “Access to fresh foods is important for seniors, but also socialization. A lot of them are somewhat isolated and this gives them a way to come out.”
McBride also wants to have more volunteers from the West Ward neighborhood participate in the market with set up, take down and working information booths. Getting community buy-in is important, she said, and so are plans to make the West Ward Market a space for people to gather.
“The West Ward is a big neighborhood; there's a lot of hills, a lot of geographical barriers,” McBride said. “There’s a lot of transients, too, because there's a lot of renters so people don't necessarily get to know each other on the same level as they do in more established neighborhoods.
“It really solidified that space as a place for people to gather. People would come and meet their neighbors there and stay for dinner.”
McBride said that during the market, a lot of kids from the neighborhood would come out every single week and stayed throughout full market hours. The market provided a safe place for kids to be a part of the community, she said.
The market could expand to Lafayette College students, as well.
Students who participate in Lafayette College's LaFarm may also have the opportunity to participate in volunteering and working with the market next year.
The market is currently looking at funding options to bring more programs, more vendors and opportunities for community involvement for 2023.
