Shake the hand that feeds you.
Every Saturday: 9AM - 1 PM May through December
1st, 3rd & 5th Saturdays: 10AM - Noon January through April
At the corner of N. Church and W. Chestnut Sts in downtown West Chester, PA
Our History
In July of 1995, the West Chester Growers Market opened at the corner of Church and Chestnut Sts. We were 10 farmers strong on that day. We are fortunate to still have three of those original families participating in our market: EverGreen Farm (formerlyWindy Acres Farm), Fahnestock's Fruit Farm and North Star Orchard. The fourth original family, Paul and Carol Hauser of Maple Hill Farm, retired in 2019..
Still going and still growing, WCGM has come a long way and transformed through time to supply you with what's fresh & local while remaining true to the roots and mission of the market. We are a cooperative market which means every vendor has a say in the direction of the market and vendors that the market takes on.
The democracy in which we operate results in an unusually close knit family of vendors that would rather be no place else other than on the corner of Church and Chestnut every Saturday morning. Many WCGM shoppers have been coming to market since day one. Because of our central borough location, West Chester residents enjoy the walk to and from market, stopping to visit local shop owners along the way.
Since that day in 1995, we have added vendors; a wide variety of local farmers, artisans, bakers and growers to enhance your market experience. Our customers are loyal. We know them by name and we love them. Our schedule includes many customer appreciation events including music, activities for the kids and give-aways.
In July of 1995, the West Chester Growers Market opened at the corner of Church and Chestnut Sts. We were 10 farmers strong on that day. We are fortunate to still have three of those original families participating in our market: EverGreen Farm (formerlyWindy Acres Farm), Fahnestock's Fruit Farm and North Star Orchard. The fourth original family, Paul and Carol Hauser of Maple Hill Farm, retired in 2019..
Still going and still growing, WCGM has come a long way and transformed through time to supply you with what's fresh & local while remaining true to the roots and mission of the market. We are a cooperative market which means every vendor has a say in the direction of the market and vendors that the market takes on.
The democracy in which we operate results in an unusually close knit family of vendors that would rather be no place else other than on the corner of Church and Chestnut every Saturday morning. Many WCGM shoppers have been coming to market since day one. Because of our central borough location, West Chester residents enjoy the walk to and from market, stopping to visit local shop owners along the way.
Since that day in 1995, we have added vendors; a wide variety of local farmers, artisans, bakers and growers to enhance your market experience. Our customers are loyal. We know them by name and we love them. Our schedule includes many customer appreciation events including music, activities for the kids and give-aways.
More About the History of Our Market...
Our original goals in forming this market were two fold: first, to create marketing opportunities for local farmers and second, to bring quality local fruits and vegetables into local communities. Idealistic and beneficial as these goals may seem, they originally faced opposition. In fact, that first year, two communities turned down our request to start a growers market and our plans were put on hold.
In the early winter of 1995, a letter was sent off to the Borough of West Chester, our third choice of location, to see if they perhaps had interest in hosting our Growers Market. And we simply could not have had better timing. The Borough was actively looking for ways to revitalize a slumping downtown and a farmers market was on their agenda. The Borough got right behind the idea and offered the growers the choice of several different locations. Our original choice of the parking lot on the corner of Church & Chestnut Streets still is the current home of the market.
The market opened in July of 1995 to a receptive audience that has continued to grow every year since. And even though West Chester was not our original choice, it has proven to be absolutely the best choice we could have made. Through the years, the market has continued to grow, constantly looking for farmers, bakers and craft makers who will add more uniqueness to the market. Originally, there were 10 farmers who opened the market and we are very fortunate to still have three of those families still in the market; the Stoltzfuses, Fahnestocks, and Kerschners.
Not only has the market accomplished its original goal of bringing local farmers and their produce into communities, it has been the model for other markets to follow. When West Chester opened in 1995, it was the first and only produce-only market in Southeastern Pennsylvania. From its example, markets have spawned into numerous communities throughout the region, each looking to duplicate the success of West Chester. Yet probably the market’s greatest achievement may be in the bond that has grown between the community of West Chester and local farmers. It has shown that consumers and farmers together build a community.