Share: 
Tuesday Editorial

Smith Park perfect for farmers market

September 26, 2016

The Historic Lewes Farmers Market is the most successful of its kind in the State of Delaware. In order to maintain that status, the market needs a new location that will serve its vendors and those who frequent the market every Saturday morning.

There is no better place for the market than George H.P. Smith Park.

The Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission will meet this week to discuss the market's request to remain in the park through 2019. Parks and rec will make a recommendation to mayor and city council, the ultimate deciders.
Concerns range from worn grass to parking and traffic issues. While no one wants to see dead grass, public parks exist so the public can use them. Why have parks if they're not going to be used?

There are few better ways to encourage community than a farmers market. It's a place where people can go to pick up local produce and meats while also enjoying a walk around Blockhouse Pond and maybe a friendly chat about the week's gossip.

Parking and traffic is a tougher nut to crack. Sure, there will be increased traffic and congestion when the market is operating, but it's only for a few hours one day a week. Some argue it hurts property values, but has anyone thought it might be a positive for property values?

What a valuable resource to have just a few hundred feet away.

It's unfortunate the market cannot return to the Lewes Historical Society grounds, where it thrived for more than a decade. But sometimes circumstances necessitate change. While people are often averse to change, change can be good.

The move to Smith Park proved challenging to the market and its vendors this year – numbers started trending upward only in July and August – but by September it is now strong again, a farmers market that continues to set the bar for all others in the state.

  • Editorials are considered and written by Cape Gazette Editorial Board members, including Publisher Chris Rausch, Editor Jen Ellingsworth, News Editor Nick Roth and reporters Ron MacArthur and Chris Flood. 

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter