Andover Farmers Market Celebrates 20 Years!

Andover Farmers Market (AFM) opens for its 20th season on Saturday, June 20th. The market will operate Saturdays, from 9 AM - 1 PM, between June 20th and October 17th, 2026.

AFM is now permanently located at 34 Bartlet Street, adjacent to the Andover Town Park, representing a partnership between AFM, South Church, and the Town of Andover.

AFM started back in 2006 through the efforts of a local Phillips Academy Student and the Andover Center for History & Culture. AFM moved to South Church in 2000. AFM operates under the Community Outreach efforts of South Church and receives administrative support from the Church but is financially independent from South Church and relies on vendor fees, grants, sponsorships, volunteer hours, and donations to operate. This season AFM also received opioid settlement funds from the Town of Andover to assist with operations.

AFM has a large number of new and returning sponsors this season, including South Church, Leader Bank, and Samantha’s Gardens. Sponsors enable AFM to offer more programming, support AFM’s food security efforts, and increase the Market’s overall reach.

For its 20^th season, AFM will average over 35+ weekly food producers, and artisans, all of whom grow or make their products. Shoppers will find locally grown produce, fresh cut flowers, sustainably caught fish and poultry, eggs, and baked goods along with dairy and fermented foods, coffee and/or ice matcha every week, and ready to eat items including pizza Indian and Nepali foods. The market will also have a theme each week, allowing organizers and vendors to celebrate everything from Pride to National Farmers Market Week. The popular dog-market is back and AFM is partnering with the Town of Andover to kick off the month-long Art Walk in October.

Popular weekly activities include yoga classes taught by HOME Yoga and live music organized by the Merrimack Valley Community Music School. AFM will continue to include weekly children’s activities, ranging from activities coordinated by Community Partner Sidney’s Rainbows to children’s music and story hours to the Power of Produce (POP) Club. The POP Club provides $3 in weekly tokens to kids ages 4-12 and has weekly activities which will be coordinated by Samatha’s Gardens this season.

AFM actively seeks to help decrease food insecurity. As a federally licensed farmers market, SNAP recipients can buy any eligible food at the market. To increase purchasing power for shoppers using SNAP at the market, AFM doubles shopper’s SNAP dollars up to $25/week, giving people $50 to buy eligible food when they spend $25. SNAP recipients can stop by the Information Table at the entrance. Other nutrition benefits supported by various vendors at the market include WIC, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and HIP (Massachusetts’ Healthy Incentive Program). AFM also collects food weekly to donate to the Village Food Hub which operates the 24-hour food pantry in Ballardvale.

To learn more about the vendors, community partners, music, and schedule go to AndoverFarmersMarket.com or the market’s Facebook and Instagram sites.