Celebrate tomatoes at Lewes farmers market Aug. 8

The Historic Lewes Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Aug. 8, at George H.P. Smith Park at the corner of Dupont and Johnson avenues in Lewes.

The Tomato Festival was originally scheduled for Aug. 8, but there won’t be a festival due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the market will be celebrating National Farmers Market Week, Aug. 2-8. Organizers urge folks to come to purchase the best tomatoes and produce available on Delmarva.

There will be heirloom, grape, cherry and slicer tomatoes, plus fresh basil and mozzarella balls to accompany them. Shoppers can look for green beans, peaches, melons, onions, greens, hot and sweet peppers, mushrooms, jams, milk, pork, chicken, eggs and much more.

Customers are advised to watch the HLFM Facebook page for location updates. In case of rain, the market moves to Richard A. Shields Elementary School parking lot on Sussex Drive off Savannah Road.

Customers should subscribe to the free market newsletter to see specific listings of what’s available by vendor. Email info@historiclewesfarmersmarket.org to receive the newsletter.

There’s a raffle going on to support the HLFM, offering two great prizes - a Barrow of Booze wheelbarrow full of fine wines and spirits, and Fabu-Lewes Feast, eight $125 gift certificates from the best restaurants in the area. Both are valued at $1,000. Tickets are $5 each or six for $25, and are available at the Saturday market.

HLFM opens its Wednesday market from 8 to 11 a.m. at Crooked Hammock Brewery, 36707 Crooked Hammock Way, Lewes with many of its favorite vendors and convenient parking on site.

Due to COVID-19, the market is very different from last year. The park entrance to the market will be near the gravel path from the circle driveway. There will be a hand-washing station with foot pump at the entrance, and a volunteer will provide sanitizer spray for customers’ hands. There will also be a hand-washing station at the exit. The market’s perimeter is enclosed, with only one entrance and one exit. Only a certain number of customers are allowed in at one time, and everyone in the market must wear a mask.

All market vendor info is available at www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org. Several vendors now take preorders, and customers who preorder should plan their pickup for later in the day to avoid heavy market traffic.

The market will match SNAP up to $20 per market, per customer at the SNAP tent next to the market trailer. SNAP customers should wait their turn to enter the market, then ask volunteers to direct them to the SNAP tent where they will receive their bonus bucks. After receiving their tokens, SNAP customers will be able to enter the market without waiting in line again.

Due to limited parking, it is best to walk or bike to the market. Lewes School, its parking lot, and its playing fields are entirely fenced off. The market thanks Beebe Healthcare for allowing customers to use the outdoor lot accessed through the main entrance to the hospital between Rite Aid and Beebe.

Market rules for customers from the Delaware Department of Agriculture:

• Do not come to the market if you have symptoms related to COVID-19.
• Cover your face: You must wear a face covering to enter the market.
• Wait your turn: No more than two customers per vendor at a time.
• Maximum of two people per household allowed in the market.
• Observe social distancing: Maintain at least six feet of distance between yourself and everyone else at the market.
• Electronic payment: Use credit cards when you can. Follow vendor instructions carefully.
• No touching: Do not touch market items. Tell vendor what you wish to purchase, and the vendor will bag items for you.
• No doubling back: The market is one-way; you must move continuously forward through the market.
• No lingering or congregating: Spend as little time as possible with each vendor for flow of customers through the market.
• Preorder as much as you can: Many vendors can now take preorders. Consult HLFM newsletter, Facebook page and website for information on how to preorder, and pick up from vendors at the market.
• No pets (service animals permitted): This is a state rule for the farmers markets at this time.
• Wash your produce: At home, wipe down any packaging with antiviral solution. Wash your produce with water. 

For more information, go to www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org.