2026 at a Glance

Three Markets. Three Communities. One Shared Commitment to Local.

Five Market Programs, One Connected Season

Customer figures represent estimated individual customer visits over the course of the season, not unique individuals. A shopper attending on multiple dates may be represented more than once. Vendors and volunteers are not included in these estimates.

A Connected Vendor Community

Across the three outdoor markets, 82 unique businesses participated. Some businesses chose one market as their regular location, while others participated in two or all three.

Thirty-eight businesses participated in just one of the outdoor markets, 25 participated in two, and 19 took part in all three. Those connections give vendors additional opportunities to reach customers and give shoppers access to a wider range of local products and businesses throughout the region.

The figures tell part of the story. The people, businesses, partnerships, and moments behind them tell the rest.

A Longstanding Market with Room to Grow

A familiar Thursday gathering with a strong connection to the community it serves.

The Middletown Farmers Market has been a community tradition for more than two decades. The market expanded in 2014 from a summer-only schedule to a longer season, and today operates on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. at Christ Reformed United Church of Christ. The 2026 season opened May 7 and continued through October 15.

In 2026, the market welcomed shoppers across 22 dates, with an estimated 8,341 individual customer visits, averaging approximately 379 visits per market. Fifty-one vendors participated throughout the season, bringing together farmers, food producers, food trucks, artisans, and entertainers.

Christ Reformed UCC remains the market’s primary sponsor and host. Mid-Maryland Farm Market serves as co-sponsor and provides management and operational support, continuing a relationship that began in 2016.

Connecting Vendors and Shoppers

In 2026, the Middletown Farmers Market introduced its Vendor of the Week program, giving shoppers a new reason to discover participating businesses and giving vendors an opportunity to connect with customers in a different way. Each week featured a participating vendor, often with a special offer, sample, activity, or other promotion to encourage shoppers to stop by and learn more.

Participating vendors included Olive & Basket, Spruce Run Farm, ThePitaKing, Willow Oaks, Druidcraft Coffee, Mazzaroth Vineyard, Pathfinder Farm Distillery, Fresh Squeezed Please, Butter’s Breads, Belle Aisling, Yeti Cones, Valley-HomeMade, Red Plate Farm, and Richvale Farm.

Promotions ranged from special discounts and samples to small activities and giveaways. Spruce Run Farm offered Baby Bear jars of honey, while other vendors shared recipes, introduced products, offered refreshments, or invited shoppers to try something new. Several vendors reported strong sales during their featured weeks, including some who described the results as among their best market days.

The Middletown Information Tent added another point of connection during the season. Indigo Sassi, a local high school senior whose family has been part of the market community for years, helped shoppers find vendors, assisted vendors with questions and practical needs, and offered market and Mid-Maryland Farm Market apparel.

During National Farmers Market Week, Indigo coordinated an activity inviting shoppers to share what they liked most about the market. Their responses were turned into keepsake magnets by From the Heart, a Myersville vendor.

Seasonal Moments and Familiar Faces

National Farmers Market Week brought a familiar bit of fun back to Middletown. Sarah of Butter’s Breads once again appeared in an inflatable cow costume, joined this year by Mary of The Vine Garden Plant Outlet as a second inflatable cow. In addition to adding fun and whimsy to the week, the two cows represented the market’s dedication to local agriculture.

Food remained an important part of the Thursday experience, with food trucks and prepared-food vendors giving shoppers the option to make an evening of their visit. The market also welcomed musicians and entertainers throughout the season.

Making Room for a Busy Market

A successful market also requires attention to the practical needs of its host location and surrounding community. The Middletown market shares the Christ Reformed UCC campus with Christ Church Children’s Center, whose daycare pickup activity overlaps with market setup and operating hours.

With approximately 54 parking spaces serving campus users, the busiest market afternoons require coordination. An estimated 600 individual shoppers may visit the market over the course of the event, although those visits occur across several hours rather than all at once.

The 2026 layout preserved access to the north side of the lot, while vendors were asked to leave the customer parking area available for shoppers. Nearby municipal parking lots, limited street parking along Church and Franklin Streets, and the Middletown Recreation Park provide additional options for visitors.

Balancing the needs of the market, the Church, the daycare, vendors, and customers is part of maintaining a longstanding community gathering place. The market’s continued success depends on those relationships as much as on the people and products found each Thursday.

Ten Years of Showing Up for the Community

A market built through local partnerships, familiar faces, and a growing year-round presence.

The Myersville Farmers Market celebrated its tenth outdoor season in 2026. Founded in 2017 through a collaboration between Mid-Maryland Farm Market and The Black Sparrow Bath Co., the market began with an idea from Lori Schroyer-Wells and has grown into a respected weekly gathering for local farmers, food producers, artisans, and shoppers.

The outdoor market takes place Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon behind First United Bank & Trust, in a parking lot leased by donation from the Myersville Volunteer Fire Company. In 2026, the outdoor season included 28 market dates and an estimated 5,024 individual customer visits, averaging approximately 179 visits per market. Fifty-one vendors participated throughout the season.

Myersville also continues to offer an indoor market during the colder months. Held on the first and third Saturdays from November through April at the Myersville Volunteer Fire Company Banquet Hall, the indoor market has helped establish Myersville as a year-round farmers market destination in Frederick County. The 2025–26 indoor season included 10 dates, 1,581 estimated customer visits, and an average of approximately 17 vendors per market.

Partners Who Make the Market Possible

First United Bank & Trust generously allows market vendors and customers to use its parking lot, while the Myersville Volunteer Fire Company provides the grounds where the outdoor market takes place. Both organizations are important partners in making the Myersville Farmers Market possible throughout the year.

The market’s relationship with the Fire Company and the Lions Club of Myersville also brings breakfast visitors to the area. The Lions Club hosts its country breakfast on the first Saturday of the month, while the Fire Company offers breakfast on the third Saturday. Customer estimates in this report reflect visits to the farmers market itself and do not include people attending breakfast without visiting the market.

A Community Tent for Local Organizations

New this season, the Myersville Community Tent offered local organizations a place to introduce themselves, share information, and connect directly with residents. Organized by Deanna Maginnis, the tent featured more than 20 community groups and organizations during the season.

Participants included Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, St. John the Baptist, Harmony Community Lutheran and St. John Lutheran, the Myersville Library, Frederick County Animal Shelter, Myersville Elementary PTA, Myersville Volunteer Fire Company, Wolfsville Volunteer Fire Company, Middletown Middle PTA, Frederick County Division of Aging, Middletown Valley People Helping People, San Mar Family & Community, Uncommon Critters, Wolfsville Myersville Athletic Association, Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, Seton Center, Wolfsville Ruritan, Knights of Columbus, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Frederick Flying Cows.

The tent gave shoppers an opportunity to learn about services, activities, and organizations serving the greater Myersville area. It also helped reinforce the market’s role as a place where community connections extend beyond shopping.

Something for Every Generation

Activities and special guests helped make the market a destination for families throughout the season. Jenn’s Uncommon Critters brought a large tortoise that quickly attracted attention from visitors of all ages. Face painting offered another opportunity for younger shoppers to enjoy their Saturday morning at the market.

The Heinrich family generously lent picnic tables and umbrellas, creating a central place for visitors to sit, take a break, and enjoy the market. Placing the tables near the center of the market made them a natural gathering point.

Local Businesses and Market Traditions

The market continued to bring together a broad mix of farmers, artisans, grocery and specialty food vendors, food trucks, and entertainers. Regular vendors and returning customers helped give the market its familiar character, while new businesses added variety throughout the season.

The Myersville Music & Trolley Festival provided an opportunity to connect the farmers market with one of the community’s established annual events. However, the festival weekend did not result in the increase in market attendance that had been anticipated. Future coordination and advance promotion may help strengthen the connection between the two events and encourage festival visitors to include the farmers market in their day.

As the Myersville Farmers Market looks toward its eleventh outdoor season in 2027, its partnerships, indoor program, and community connections remain an important part of what makes the market distinctive.

Bringing Local Business and Community Together

A market that continues to adapt, grow, and find new ways to connect with downtown Brunswick.

Brunswick Main Street Farmers Market began in 2020, when it launched its outdoor market during the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the market has become a regular part of the downtown calendar, connecting local farms, food businesses, artisans, and shoppers.

Mid-Maryland Farm Market coordinates vendor participation and day-to-day market operations. Brunswick Main Street serves as a community liaison and provides administrative and marketing support, helping connect the market with downtown businesses, local organizations, and the City of Brunswick.

The outdoor market operates on the second and last Fridays of the month from April through October, from 4 to 7 p.m. The 2026 season included 14 dates, 3,093 estimated individual customer visits, and approximately 221 visits per market. Forty-three vendors participated throughout the season.

A Season of Change Downtown

Construction at B&O Railroad Park and the Martins Creek Municipal Parking Lot required a temporary change of location for the beginning of the 2026 season. The market opened at Square Corner Park and remained there until June, when it returned to the Martins Creek area following the June 12 Pride in the Park event.

The temporary location provided an opportunity to keep the market active while downtown improvements moved forward. The return to Martins Creek brought the market back to a familiar location with new public-space features taking shape around it.

These improvements, made possible through the City of Brunswick’s investment in its downtown public spaces, offer new possibilities for the market’s continued presence and activities in Brunswick.

Pride in the Park Collaboration

On June 12, the City of Brunswick and Brunswick Main Street Farmers Market collaborated on Pride in the Park, a community event that brought together music, activities, local organizations, food, and shopping in the downtown area.

The event used several nearby spaces to accommodate different activities. Community services and children’s activities were located at Square Corner Park, merchandise vendors lined East Potomac Street, food vendors extended toward First Avenue, and farmers and artisans set up in the Martins Creek lot. A musician performed at the far end of the event area.

The collaboration offered a chance to bring the farmers market into a larger downtown celebration while introducing visitors to the businesses and organizations that make up the Brunswick community.

Community Activities and Local Connections

Once per month, Brunswick Main Street maintained an information booth at the market, providing a regular point of contact for downtown information and community updates. The Brunswick Arts Council also offered children’s craft activities at the market each month through August.

Farmers and food producers remained at the heart of the market, joined by artisans, food vendors, and entertainers. The variety gave shoppers an opportunity to pick up local food, discover small businesses, and spend time downtown.

Farm to School Frederick

In 2026, the Brunswick market also participated in activities connected to the Farm to School Frederick grant. The project includes a pre-implementation year in 2025, an implementation year in 2026, and a post-implementation year in 2027. Its broader goals include outreach, nutrition and wellness education, and helping people learn more about preparing and using local foods.

Activities completed during 2026 included professional photography and video documentation at Pride in the Park, preparation of an existing SNAP and WIC information document, development of a social media guide, and children’s craft activities in July and August.

The activities completed during the year provided opportunities for information-sharing and project documentation, but did not encompass the full range of educational and outreach activities envisioned for the project.

Keeping Local Shopping Going Through Winter

The Brunswick Pop-Up! Market extended the opportunity to shop local beyond the outdoor season. Held monthly from December 2025 through March 2026 at the American Legion, 18 South Maple Avenue, the indoor pop-ups brought together an average of approximately 16 vendors per date.

The four Pop-Up! dates welcomed an estimated 662 individual customer visits, averaging approximately 166 visits per market. The smaller indoor format offered shoppers another way to support local businesses during the winter months and helped maintain connections between vendors and customers until the outdoor market returned.

With improvements to the downtown public spaces and additional features planned for future market use, the market enters the next season with new possibilities for programming, vendor participation, and community gatherings.

Supporting the Markets Behind the Scenes

The work of a farmers market extends well beyond its hours of operation.

A farmers market may be most visible for a few hours on market day, but keeping it running involves work throughout the week and across the season. Mid-Maryland Farm Market provides ongoing management and operational support for the three markets featured in this report, with responsibilities that vary according to each market’s needs and the roles shared with local partners.

That work includes coordinating vendor participation, communicating market information, promotion, scheduling, administrative responsibilities, site coordination, preparation for special events, and addressing the practical needs of market day. These efforts help maintain the structure that allows each market to serve its community.

A Shared Identity, Three Distinct Markets

Although each market has its own identity and community relationships, they share a commitment to local farms, artisans, and small businesses. In 2026, that shared connection became more visible through market-specific apparel and merchandise developed in partnership with T3 Services, formerly Toxic Trait Tees.

The collection included branded designs for the individual markets as well as Mid-Maryland Farm Market, giving vendors and shoppers new ways to show their connection to the markets. A special Pride Edition design was also introduced, reflecting the communities and people who make these markets welcoming places to gather.

The People Who Help Make Market Day Happen

Market management is supported by the contributions of people who step in where help is needed. Volunteers and community partners assist with practical tasks, including setup and teardown, vendor coverage, breaks, and other day-to-day needs. Their help makes a difference, particularly during busy market days and special events.

These contributions help create an environment where vendors can focus on serving customers and shoppers can enjoy the market.

Looking Ahead: Continuing the Work in 2027

The close of the 2026 outdoor season is not the end of the market year. The Myersville Indoor Market and Brunswick Pop-Up! Market continue to provide opportunities for local shopping through the colder months, keeping vendors and customers connected until the outdoor markets return.

In 2027, the Myersville Farmers Market will begin its eleventh outdoor season. Middletown and Brunswick will continue their own market traditions, with opportunities to build on the partnerships, vendor relationships, and community connections developed over the years.

Work connected to Farm to School Frederick will also continue into its post-implementation year. Across all three markets, the coming season offers another opportunity to support local agriculture, strengthen small businesses, welcome new vendors, and make the markets useful and engaging gathering places for their communities.

The Myersville Community Tent will continue to be expanded and improved, and the Middletown Information Tent will continue to develop as a point of connection for shoppers and vendors. A Farm-to-Table-style dinner benefiting all three markets has been in the planning stages for some time and will continue to be developed, with a possible launch as a kickoff to National Farmers Market Week 2027.

With Appreciation

These markets are made possible through the cooperation and support of many people and organizations. Mid-Maryland Farm Market extends its appreciation to Christ Reformed United Church of Christ, The Black Sparrow Bath Co., Brunswick Main Street, the City of Brunswick, the Town of Myersville, the Myersville Volunteer Fire Company, the Lions Club of Myersville, First United Bank & Trust, and the Heinrich family.

Thank you as well to T3 Services, the participating businesses, community organizations, volunteers, and everyone who helped make the 2026 season possible.

To the farmers, artisans, food vendors, entertainers, community organizations, volunteers, and participating businesses: thank you for contributing your time, products, talents, and energy throughout the year.

To the shoppers who visited, supported local businesses, brought friends and family, and made these markets part of their routines: thank you. Your continued support is what keeps local markets thriving.