Downtown Worcester to expand yearly farmers market with $100K state grant
Photo | Christine Peterson
Worcester Common has become a regular location for events and festivals.
The Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers' Market series in Worcester will offer extended dates and an expanded vendor lineup in 2025, as program administrator Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District has received a $100,000 grant through the Massachusetts Urban Agenda Grant Program.
Downtown Worcester BID will utilize the awarded funds to enhance its annual festival through initiatives such as expanding its market staffing and campaigning, increasing its talent and production budget, and installing new equipment to process SNAP-EBT benefits, according to a Thursday press release.
In addition, the organization will extend the event to 10 dates. In 2024, the farmers market took place over six Thursdays in July and August.
The Urban Agenda Grant Program, provided through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development, offers funding to projects and programs fostering leadership, collaboration, and capacity throughout the state, according to the EOED’s website.
“These Urban Agenda Grant funds will help create more opportunities for small businesses and help ensure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to fresh, healthy food in Downtown Worcester,” Edith Murnane, executive director of Mass Farmers Markets, said in the release.
Established in 2009, the annual festival and farmers market takes place on the Worcester Common Oval, featuring produce vendors, food trucks, handmade goods, and musical performances throughout the multi-day, lunchtime event.
“The Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers Market has become a popular annual celebration of local culture, entrepreneurship, and great food in Worcester, and this funding will help us take that to the next level,” Julian Wade, board chair of Downtown Worcester BID, said in the release.
Founded in 2018, Downtown Worcester BID represents the owners of more than 100 properties throughout approximately 78 acres of Downtown Worcester.
In September, Downtown Worcester BID announced its Executive Director Evelyn Darling would resign from her role after supporting the transition process of the organization’s new leader. The executive director job posting is still on the nonprofit’s website with an annual salary of about $105,000.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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