Stroll the Streets
Stroll the Streets
Saunter the sidewalks Friday evenings for family friendly activities + Farmers’ Market
Looking for a fun, free night out that the whole family can enjoy? Beginning next week, spend your Friday nights in Ellicottville, when Stroll the Streets and the Farmers’ Market return for the season! From July 8th until September 2nd, each Friday night promises a variety of activities, entertainment, and locally grown or made goods. Stroll the Streets organizer Jessica Gilbert and Farmers’ Market coordinator Caitlin Croft are excited to share what’s new this year.
Both Gilbert and Croft have served in their roles since the inception of both events. They’ve witnessed exciting growth over the years and were instrumental in ensuring these events continued amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “After doing this in pandemic mode for the past two years, I’m just thankful we’ve been able to keep it going, and keep it simple and fun,” said Gilbert.
Stroll the Streets began approximately six years ago as an initiative inspired by something a local business owner saw in a community where he lived. Gilbert, owner of Ava Grace Fashions, explained, “He came to other business owners, told us how this had been really great for his previous community, enhanced their involvement, and that it was good for businesses, too. We started Stroll the Streets, and I’ve been on the committee ever since!”
Gilbert and her committee work with the Rotary Club of Ellicottville, the umbrella non-profit organization for the event. “The whole idea behind it is to create fun activities for the locals and tourists to do in the community, and it really does enhance activity and fun in the village for everyone, whether you’re from Ellicottville or if you’re just in town for the weekend,” said Gilbert.
Weekly activities include live musical entertainment, a balloon twister and face painter, not to mention the sidewalk activities by participating businesses. Hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and even corn hole are just a few things that business owners set up on the sidewalk while they are inside, helping customers or serving restaurant patrons. Gilbert noted that this is a great night to get ice cream or dinner out with the family, as many restaurants have more kid/family-appropriate specials on Friday nights, and the shops are open later, too.
This year, Stroll the Streets is offering a printed and digital passport that guides participants to different stops in the community. A completed passport can be entered to win prizes at the end of the summer! On July 8th, Gilbert will have a booth set up at the Farmers’ Market with a link to the digital passport, as well as the printed version. New this year, Gilbert will be selling Ellicottville Farmers’ Market/Stroll the Streets t-shirts at her booth. “$15 of each shirt goes to help fundraise for Stroll the Streets and the Farmers Market,” said Gilbert. “Fundraising helps pay for advertising and our entertainers. That way, we can keep these things free for the public.” Donations are also accepted via check payable to the Rotary Club of Ellicottville and can be mailed to Jessica Gilbert at P.O. Box 1313, Ellicottville, NY 14731. Gilbert thanks Stroll the Streets’ many sponsors who support the weekly event and looks forward to another great year!
ELLICOTTVILLE FARMERS’ MARKET
In 2018, the Farmers’ Market was added to Stroll the Streets, and coordinator Caitlin Croft has been involved since day one. She wrote the initial scope of work for the project, encouraged by John Rounds, owner of Adventure Bound On the Fly and Ellicottville Coffee Company. Croft’s goal is to “cultivate a group effort with it being the community and vendors that run the show.” And what a “show,” it is! … with farmers and vendors that come from Allegany, Chautauqua, Erie, and of course, Cattaraugus Counties!
Croft is thrilled that the Ellicottville Farmers’ Market carries on an ancient tradition that began in Egypt, where local farmers on the Nile River would sell their goods to those traversing the waters. “Farmers’ markets started in the colonies in the mid-1600s but modern farmers’ markets offer more than consumable products … it is a melting pot of farmers, artists, bakers, horticulturists, creatives and the list goes on,” Croft explained. She noted that in recent years, there has been a push for markets in California and New York, as demand for fresh, organic, and local food has increased. “The Ellicottville Farmers’ Market has been a wonderful addition to the community, and it keeps tax dollars local.”
Croft shared the Farmer’s Markets’ three goals: “1) To give the community access to a wide variety of fresh, local, in-season farm products direct from the producer. 2) To provide a centralized location for producers to market directly to the buying public, and 3) To create an open-air community setting where all are welcome!” Toward that end, Croft is thrilled to welcome several new and returning vendors and farmers. Newcomers include new farms and local candle makers, said Croft, and she is excited for the return of bakers, a leatherworker, anchor farmer BioDome of Jamestown, Edge’s Wild Farm, Ellicottville Distillery, the Fungus Goddess, FZL Designs, Lion’s Mane CBD, Magnolia’s Ceramic Studio, Onda Hill Farm, and others.
Among her favorite things about the market is the growth she sees year after year. “Watching how the market has helped grow our vendors has been remarkable,” said Croft. “To watch these creative, hardworking people push themselves daily at their craft is a privilege.”
Prospective farmers or vendors and volunteers can contact Croft at ellicottvillefarmersmarket@gmail.com. Depending on the harvest season, the market may continue another two to four weeks to September 23rd. Croft encourages all to follow the Ellicottville Farmers’ Market on social media for the latest news and announcements.