Officials from the Batavia MainStreet group have announced the return of the Wednesday evening version of the Batavia Farmers Market beginning Wednesday, June 4.

The Wednesday market will run from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Batavia every Wednesday through the final Wednesday in August.

Last year’s initial rollout of the Wednesday market was well received, Batavia MainStreet staff said, as an estimated 500 visitors per week were able to shop for produce, fresh herbs, pastries and more at the weekly event.

“We were pleased at how that turned out and we’re excited to be rolling this out and hopefully growing it for the second season,” market coordinator Kathy Kuchta said.

The regular Batavia Farmers Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through Oct. 25 along North River Street between Wilson and Spring streets in the city’s downtown.

“We have about 60 vendors during the Saturday market and about 20 for Wednesday.

It’s a smaller, more intimate market,” Kuchta said. “It’s just from Wilson to State Street (along North River Street), whereas the Saturday market is obviously much larger and much busier from Wilson all the way to Spring Street, but still with a nice variety of vendors and the same curated quality of vendors that our customers are expecting from us.”

The Wednesday market will feature a mixture of Saturday vendors returning mid-week as well as some that are exclusive to the Wednesday event.

According to officials from Batavia MainStreet, new offerings at the Wednesday evening market will include Chianti’s with sauces and dressings; Fourth Dimension Flavors with homemade soups, stews and chilis; Bella Rosa Cannoli with hand-piped Sicilian-style cannoli and iced Italian sodas; Spring Bluff Nursery with flowers, vegetable plants and hanging baskets; Nada, Nada Limonada; and Umbrella Azul Peruvian Empanadas.

Kuchta noted a number of other vendors that will sometimes be at the Saturday market but primarily at the Wednesday evening market include Kernel Dan’s Kettle Corn, Birdflower Farm, Blue Stand Cookie Co. and Cakeytown Marshmallows.

Other offerings at the Wednesday market include Gather Bakery, The Cookie Maker; along with locally-grown produce from Garlic Breath Farm, Fae Forest Fungi, Hason Microgreens & Herbs and Creek Side Market Garden.

Similar to last year, the midweek market is designed to serve a dual purpose, Kuchta said.

“There are people who are busy on the weekends with family events or sports and this gives them an opportunity to shop midweek when they have more time,” she said. “This is two-fold as there’s a smaller, less crowded market space for those not able to make it on Saturdays as well as a way to replenish things midweek which people might have eaten already.”

For more information on the market, go to https://downtownbatavia.com/.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.