LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) - A farmers market's annual season will open in May with social distancing guidelines in place, organizers said.
The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Market is scheduled to open for the first time in 2020 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, with operations continuing each Saturday through Sept. 26. It is located at the Logan County Fairgrounds expo building in Lincoln.
Organizers on Monday announced multiple changes will be active to ensure the market is safe for vendors and customers. A press release said a customer limit may be enforced, there will be a designated entrance/exit to the market, a shopping path will be in place for social distancing and all customers and vendors will be required to have on face masks.
All programming and activities traditionally held at the market are suspended until further notice.
Some vendors are offering added convenience with the option of online ordering available for the first time. Market leaders said this feature will be available shortly through this link.
“The sense of community that The Market provides means a great deal to us, but the COVID-19 crisis requires us to focus on the core function of the market which is to provide access to fresh, local produce," said farmers market coordinator Chelsie Campbell. "That means for now we are hosting an in-and-out market as recommended by the Illinois Farmers Market Association."
The following vendors will be at the ALMH market in 2020, with more scheduled to join: Abe’s, Brooks’s Kountry Honey, Hilltop Community Gardens, Ieorger Family Farmers, Knead Bread, Lawrence Family Farms, Nuthatch Hill BBQ Co., Odelehr Farms, Primordia Foods, Flossie and Delzena’s, Samantha Danosky, The Tony Cannoli, Thompson Family Farm and Toohill Seed and Beef Service.
Organizers said market planners will respond to return the market to its normal operations "as responsibly and quickly as possible" as the COVID-19 pandemic situation evolves.
“We look forward to bringing back our typical programming and to encourage gathering in the future. Thank you for your patience and support as we work through this together. And thank you for supporting our local vendors,” said Campbell.
