LEWES, Del. — It’s Mater Madness this Saturday at the Market. The Market is celebrating its favorite fruit to kick off National Farmers Market Week, August 6-12. At the festival: The Guess the Number of Tomatoes in the Jar contest, the Biggest Tomato at Market Contest, and a demo by Heirloom at 10 am. Cherry and slicer tomatoes—both heirloom and hybrid—will be in abundance. Customers are welcome to dress up in their tomato costume, their HLFM Tomato T-Shirt (which can be purchased at the Market, or just wear red.
The Biggest Tomato at Market Contest is judged at 10am. All who grow their own tomatoes are welcome to enter this contest. Contest Rules: Growers should bring their tomatoes to the Tomato Festival Tent between 8 and 9:45am. Tomatoes may be heirloom or hybrid and must be edible. The largest tomato will be judged by weight as determined by the judges. The variety of each tomato must be identified on the entry form with contact information. All tomatoes must be washed and clean. Judging and ribbons will be awarded at 10am. The winners and all entries will be displayed with grower’s name at The Tomato Festival Tent next to the Info Tent.
The Guess the Number of Tomatoes in the Jar Contest also takes place at the Tomato Festival Tent. Enter your guess between 8 and 11am. Winner will be announced at 11:15am. The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Heirloom Restaurant.
In addition to every variety of tomato imaginable, vendors will be bringing special Tomato Festival items including savory breakfast cakes made with goat cheese, basil, and tomatoes with a spiced tomato jam swirled on top from Grateful Bakery, a special tomato and herb juice from Jun & Juice, DIY tomato and herb sauce kits from Derby Mill Farm, a tomato milkshake at the Frozen Farmer ice cream truck, a recipe for Bennett Orchard’s Nectarine Caprese Salad, and much more! Customers will also find American and Italian eggplant, figs, cherries, cantaloupes, watermelons, peaches, plums, nectarines, sweet corn, , potatoes—various colors, green beans, summer squashes, kale, Bok Choy, Chinese cabbage, radishes, Swiss chard, arugula, pork sausages, chops, and ribs, oysters, live crabs, hand-picked crab meat, crabcakes, crab salad, grass-fed chicken, beef, honey, mushrooms, eggs, yogurt, milk, butter, ice cream, kombucha, jams, fresh-baked breads, pastries made with fruit from the market, herb, veggie, and flower plants, cut-flower bouquets including sunflowers, locally roasted coffee and coffee drinks, and more.
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market is unique in that it is producer-only—customers are able to buy directly from the farmer who grew the produce. This Market is where the farmers are—the most farmers in any farmers market in the Delmarva.
The popular Children’s Storytime at the Market, a partnership with the Lewes Public Library, starts at 10am under the yellow tent. Library volunteers read books about farming, gardening, and healthy eating. All children and their adults are welcome. Thanks to Heirloom Restaurant for sponsoring this program.
Not a lot of time left to enter the HLFM Big Raffle. There are 3 stupendous prizes: a $1,400 gift certificate to Seagreen Bicycle; the Fabu-Lewes Feast including 12–$100 restaurant gift cards; and a Private-in-Home 3-Course Chef’s Tasting with Wine Pairing for 10 by Chef Sean Corea from Lewes Oyster House. Tickets are on sale at the Market, and the drawing is September 2nd. Customers do not have to be present to win.
The bigger and even better HLFM Wednesday Market at Crooked Hammock Brewery continues every Wednesday of the summer into the first week of September from 8 to 11:30am. This easy in-and-out Market now has fourteen vendors. Vendors include chicken vendor, Mahon River Farm, Beachdog Farm, Bennett Orchards, Cosmic Dog Farm, Davidson’s Exotic Mushrooms, Dittmar Family Farms, Gaia Coffee Co, Hattie’s Garden, Kalmar Farm, Lucky Penny Flower Farm, Marsh Creek Cattle and Company, Stag Run Farm, Tout de Suite Patisserie, and Two Sweet Beaches Bakery. Thanks to Crooked Hammock Brewery for sponsoring the Wednesday Market.
Save the date! On Saturday, August 19, Kid’s Day at the Market returns with special kids’ games, prizes, and activities starting at 9am, Children’s Storytime at 10am, hands-on cooking demonstrations, and The City of Lewes Environmental Footprints activity. Kids accompanied by an adult with a SNAP card will receive a free $10 Bonus Bucks to spend at the Market.
Dogs at the Market must be under control on a tightly held, non-retractable leash inside the Market to ensure the safety of all customers at the Market.
The Market moves to the Lewes Elementary School parking lot at 820 Savannah Road in inclement weather.
The HLFM website www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org lists all vendors, their contact information, and whether or not they take pre-orders. For pre-orders, the customer may pick up at the vendor tent in the market.
The Market’s weekly newsletters list demos, what each farmer/producer is bringing each Saturday and Wednesday markets, and more. To receive the newsletter, customers should email [email protected] and ask to be added to the list.
The Market accepts SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP benefits and continues to match SNAP up to $20 per market, per customer. Please go to the SNAP tent to process SNAP/EBT.
The HLFM continues its Food Pantry Purchase Program. HLFM customers who want to help feed the local community may purchase local produce, meats, milk, and other food from growers at the Market to donate to this program every Saturday. At the end of the Market, the produce and other foods are gathered and given to food pantries including Epworth and Casa San Francisco. The HLFM thanks its customers for their generosity.
The Market thanks The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, 2023 HLFM Market Champion, for their continued support of the Market. It also thanks all the 2023 Sponsors!
For more information go to www.HistoricLewesFarmersMarket.org, or find the Historic Lewes Farmers Market on Facebook or Instagram.
–Historic Lewes Farmers Market
