Farmers market returns this week in Monongahela

Entertainment and theme days are planned every Friday through Sept. 5.

The Monongahela Farmers Market is gearing up for a busy season.

The first market will be held June 13 at Chess Park, kicking off a weekly event that brings the community together for entertainment, food and fun heading into each weekend.

There will be a variety of fresh fruit, produce and other homemade goodies to take home.

The farmers market is hosted rain or shine from 3 to 6 p.m. every Friday and will continue through Sept. 5.

Organized by the Monongahela Area Revitalization Corporation, it’s a popular event that brings in families, residents, farmers, vendors and entertainers from across the region.

It’s the place to be, especially for Monongahela residents, on a Friday night to ensure a good start to the weekend.

Each week, Chess Park will fill with families, foodies, friends and neighbors who gather to shop and mingle.

A free concert is presented each week at 4 p.m., sponsored by the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts.

For opening night, C&T Acoustic will take the “stage” near the gazebo.

After opening day, markets will have a new theme each week. Some themes are new this year and others were popular last year and will return for another go.

“This year we will have our first ever nine-hole mini golf, two big ethnic days (more on that to come in a couple weeks), the children’s entrepreneur market will be back and the first annual car show,” coordinator Michelle DeHosse said. “Several Fridays just for the kids, Wild Animal Day, Touch a Truck, magician (provided by Monongahela Library). Music is generously provided by MVAA for the fifth year in a row, and we will be having two acts almost every Friday.”

This year’s themes and entertainment are:

• June 20 — Senior Citizens’ Day/Marks Brothers.

• June 27 — Kids Day featuring a magician provided by the Monongahela Area Library/Strumburgh Duo.

• July 11 — Mini-golf (benefiting the Finleyville Food Pantry)/Tom & Jerry. Cost to play mini-golf is $2 per adult and $1 per child. Nonperishable food items will be collected.

• July 18 — Ethnic Foods Day/Johnny Vann & the Vanntastics.

• July 25 — Christmas in July.

• Aug. 1 — Car show/Strumburgh Duo.

• Aug. 8 Touch-a-Truck/Johnny Vann & the Vanntastics.

• Aug. 15 — Children’s Entrepreneurs Market/Allies Band.

• Aug. 22 — Wild Animal Day/Scott & Rosanna with opening performance by From The Top music students at 3 p.m. Wild World of Animals show starts at 3 p.m.

• Aug. 29 — (Second) Ethnic Foods Day/Joe Foreman & Grace.

• Sept. 5 — Last all-vendor market/Joe Forman & Grace.

There will not be a market July 4. Farmers, vendors and others interested in participating are accepted all summer.

Two of the biggest days this year will fall on July 18 and Aug. 29 for the market’s popular ethnic food days. Organizers are looking for churches and nonprofits to participate and sell homemade specialties. Spots for food types go quickly and can’t be duplicated, so groups interested in participating are asked to call to reserve a spot and secure their food type sooner rather than later to be eligible to participate.

Three specialties have already been secured.

Vendor contracts can be found at https:// bit.ly/moncityfarmmarketapp.

Completed contracts can be emailed to moncityfarmmarket@gmail.com or mailed with payment (check or money order) to Monongahela Farmers Market, 246 W. Main St., Monongahela, PA 15063.

Contracts and payments can also be dropped off in person at Sparkles by Shell at that address.

Contracts must be completed, along with a check or money order for associated fees, before a spot is secured.

Questions can be answered by calling 412-215-9375 or e-mailing moncityfarmmarket@ gmail.com.