WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The Westfield Farmers market is kicking off its season Thursday evening.

Scheduled to run every Thursday through Sept. 26, excluding July 4, officials expect to welcome thousands of shoppers to the farmers market at Grand Junction Plaza in downtown Westfield.

During the 2023 season, they averaged nearly 1,300 visitors per event and welcomed more than 15,000 visitors overall. Leaders with the Westfield Farmers Market told News 8 they expect to expand the market this year because it’s so popular.

“We’re super excited to open for the season,” market manager Molly O’ Connor said.

The Westfield Farmers Market will have nearly 50 vendors on Thursday evening. Throughout the entire season, they’ll have 66 vendors, according to O’Connor.

The market will offer locally-sourced items including fresh produce, artisanal goods, fresh-cut flowers, and pet treats along with food trucks, boutique-style shopping and more. As for what’s new this year, the new Kids Activity Booth will include an activity booklet, sticker sheets, and kid-sized canvas bags to decorate with custom stamps. 

“Westfield is really focused on creating a family friendly community and I think that shows with the way that we do our farmers market. There’s things for the adults, there’s things for the kids. Everybody is going to have a great time,” O’Connor said.

One vendor who has been at the Westfield Farmers Market for the last 11 years is the Eagle Creek Apiary.

“We started this business to help people with their allergies, (and) you need local and raw honey to do that,” Eagle Creek Apiary co-owner Amelia Cripe told News 8.

Cripe says they will have multiple types of honey available for purchase.

“We’ve separated our honeys out seasonally: spring, summer, fall. As you do these, honey from the (specific) time periods are going to help you with your allergies because it’ll have the most allergens from that (season).”

As to what makes their honey different than what they buy in the stores, Cripe says, “We do not heat or filter, so our honey is ‘alive’. All of those trace amounts of pollen, all of that vitamin and mineral content, is still living and intact in our honey,” Cripe explained.

The Westfield Farmers Market is open every Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m. at Grand Junction Plaza from May 30 – Sept. 26, excluding July 4.

Click here to learn more about the farmers market.