Are you looking for a new adventure? Some delicious pastries? Fresh fruit, vegetables or flowers? The Lancaster County Farmers Market could be the perfect place for you.
The market is located at 389 Lancaster Ave, Wayne, PA, and is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round. It has a long history in Philadelphia, founded in 1933 by Norman and Florence Sweigart, who host many merchants from across Lancaster County in their Rosemont location. They relocated to Wayne in 1951 and once more in 1977 to their current indoor market, becoming a staple for patrons of Wayne and surrounding areas ever since.
The historic market is currently home to 25 diverse vendors and offers a wide selection of products. Whether you are craving homemade donuts and scones, smoked meats and cheeses, seasonal produce or a quick coffee and breakfast, Lancaster County Farmers Market has something for you. Drawn to the family-like environment and loyal customers, the vendors of Lancaster have been coming to the market for years on end.
Christopher Powel, the owner of Good Harvest Farms, located in Strasbourg, PA, sells his produce exclusively to the Lancaster County market. This will be his 27th year here, and he won’t be leaving anytime soon.
“My favorite thing is the people,” Powel said. “Awesome people. We have great customers, I feel like they like us and we love them. That’s the only reason I get up at three o’clock in the morning: the people.”
I can happily vouch for the satisfaction of Powel’s customers. Somewhat of a regular myself, I try not to miss a week of their seasonal produce, from juicy peaches to crunchy honeycrisp apples. Purchasing fresh ingredients at the market has been a saving grace for me throughout my first semester at Villanova. Located about 3.5 miles from campus, the market is accessible to students. I love to run there on Saturday mornings but driving, walking, biking or taking the SEPTA are all ways in which students can easily reach the Wayne location. Supplementing Villanova meal plans with fresh produce goes a surprisingly long way in creating satisfying and nutritious meals.
If you are looking for more than freshly baked bread or produce, Market Fresh Flowers could be the perfect stand for you. Another one of my personal favorites, small flower arrangements are an easy way to brighten up a dorm room and really make the space your own. Bailey Zuzu manages the stand in Wayne every week, selling their locally grown flowers and personal arrangements. Zuzu has worked at the market for 12 years and, in addition, to loving the people, she also reaps the benefits of the market herself.
“I love the stands that have food,” Zuzu said. “It’s nice that you can choose something different each time that you come here. Pretty much any craving you have, you can find it here.”
If you are anything like me, you desperately miss baked goods from home. Not to worry, this too can easily be accounted for with a quick trip to Sunnyside Pastries. Originally established in 1993 by the Lantz family at their farmhouse in Ephrata, PA, their treats are now available for market patrons. Additionally, they sell from Green Dragon Farmers Market and their East Earl, PA location Tuesday through Saturday. Sunnyside employee Lila Sesh has worked at the market for more than five years, never growing tired of the fresh pastries.
“I’m pretty simple,” Sesh said. “I would recommend for Villanova students to try the glazed donut,” Sesh said.
Truly, you cannot go wrong at Sunnyside. Every Saturday you can count on a line of happy customers and a delicious smell wafting from their pastry case. With the holidays coming up their seasonal offerings like pumpkin donuts, breads, cakes and traditional whoopies pies are perfect for celebrating.
If you are able to make the journey, the Lancaster County Farmers Market is truly one of Wayne’s largest treasures. The trek is worth it for weekly flowers and pastries, or even the occasional special outing. You can guarantee that vendors are committed to providing high quality goods and maintaining the special family-like atmosphere first curated so long ago in 1933.
