Farmer Bryan Briscoe, owner of Bucksberry Farm in Saranac, holds a bouquet of basil in front of his artistically arranged fruits and vegetables at the Wilmington farmers market on Wednesday, July 27. (News photo — Lauren Yates)

WILMINGTON — The Wilmington farmers market has more than tripled in size since its inception last summer, and market Manager Leslie Copec expects it will keep growing.

The Wilmington market, held every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Heritage Park on state Route 86, isn’t even a year old. Copec said that Michelle Preston, operations manager at the Whiteface Mountain Regional Visitors Bureau, came up with the idea for the market and got it up and running. The market debuted on Aug. 11, 2021. Copec thought it was a little ambitious to start a market that late in the season, but it worked out; it has grown from four vendors last year to 14 weekly vendors this year, with even more vendors signed up and showing up biweekly.

“I’m amazed at how we grew this year; it’s really good,” Copec said. “I guess we needed something (like this) down this way.”

Copec said the market has expanded so quickly that she’s thinking of moving the market to the festival field down the street so she can accommodate even more vendors. She’s also thinking of changing the day of the market — Lake Placid’s farmers market is at the same time as the Wilmington market each Wednesday. While Copec said she doesn’t think there’s too much competition between the markets, she’s going to poll Wilmington vendors to see how they feel about changing days or locations.

Jay resident Mike Brewer, of Mike’s Crafts, had a display of stools, wine and beer can holders, trays and other items at the market that he’d made from wood. He said he was one of the original four vendors that came to the market last year. He likes the idea of changing the location of the market because it’s also on the same day that the nearby Riverside Thrift Store is open. He said it’s been a “struggle” to compete for customers.

Mike Brewer, owner of Mike’s Crafts, relaxes in the shade at the Wilmington farmers market on Wednesday, July 27 with items he made from wood. (News photo — Lauren Yates)

“They’re going there to get a deal, and here, we’re trying to make a living,” he said.

The Wilmington market boasts regional fare, flowers and crafts. From farm-fresh produce and maple syrup to soaps, toys and woodwork, there’s something for locals and tourists alike. Eye-catching booths, like vendor Bryan Briscoe’s, were attracting customer after customer on Wednesday. Briscoe, who owns Bucksberry Farm in Saranac, has a passion for growing food and for the arts. He said he has a background in the fine and commercial arts, and that was apparent in his display of fruits and vegetables that he strategically arranged to reflect his artistry.

There’s also live music at the market. Even though Copec said she can’t pay musicians to play, she said that “people have been really great about donating their time.” That was the case for Mingo, a local musician who Copec said showed up one week when another musician canceled. She said Mingo came to the market and asked to play.

“We said, ‘please,'” Copec laughed. She said there are still a couple of slots open for musicians at the market this summer.

Copec, who also works at the visitors bureau, said she sees a lot of locals coming back to the Wilmington market week after week to pick up their favorite breads from Fratelli’s, among other items. She also sees a lot of tourists from the local KOA campground at the market, and sometimes she tells visitors at the bureau to walk over and check it out.

Local musician Mingo plays a tune at the Wilmington farmers market on Wednesday, July 27. (News photo — Lauren Yates)

Copec got involved with managing the market because her husband has a woodworking business — Whiteface Workshop — and he’s a regular farmers market vendor. She thought that if he could be a vendor at the Wilmington market, she might as well manage it.

Copec said more people are still signing up to be vendors at the market, and she said people can still join in for the summer season this year.

“At this point, if anybody’s interested, they’re welcome,” she said.

The Wilmington farmers market runs until Aug. 31.

Sammy Yelle spins a hula hoop at the Wilmington farmers market on Wednesday, July 27. Market Manager Leslie Copec said Yelle donated her time to perform at the market. (News photo — Lauren Yates)

The Wilmington farmers market, located in Heritage Park on state Route 86, runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday through the end of August. (News photo — Lauren Yates)