Farmers market season comes to close in downtown Washington
Observer-Reporter
In this file photo, Joe Jodikinos, left, of Jodikinos Farms, bags apples for a Main Street Farmers Market customer in downtown Washington. The market will start in June due to coronavirus concerns.
James Simon, a sculptor and mosaic artist from Pittsburgh, installs a sculpture that Washington High School students made on South Main Street in Washington on Thursday.
James Simon, a sculptor and mosaic artist from Pittsburgh, installs a sculpture that Washington High School students made on South Main Street in Washington on Thursday.
A newly installed 30-foot mosaic mural welcomed shoppers to the season’s first farmers market, while a three-and-a-half-foot, 150-pound pair of pants bid them adieu.
The ceramic legs, wearing blue pants and red, yellow and blue cowboy boots, were created by Washington High School students and renowned Pittsburgh artist James Simon, creator of the oversized “Liberty Avenue Musicians.”
The sculpture was installed Thursday at the Main Street Farmers Market pavilion on South Main Street in Washington, just in time for the final market of the season
“Anything we can do to highlight the pavilion’s usefulness and highlight local talent is a win for everyone,” said Christy Bean Rowing, executive director of Citywide Development Corp.
The art pieces, created through a community development grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to beautify public spaces, aren’t the only addition to the market. A 15,000-square-foot roof provides shelter from the elements, drawing bigger crowds.
“The roof was a godsend,” said Al Lucchini, a member of the farmers market board. “Vendors and customers love it.”
The season – the first under the protection of the double-arch roof – was a record-breaker for at least one vendor.
“This is our best year since we’ve been here,” said Ed Jodikinos of Jodikinos Farms in Beaver County.
Jodikinos, who sells produce every day of the week at Pittsburgh-area markets, has been with the Washington market every one of its 13 years.
“People love the roof,” he said. “We get a lot of repeat customers.”
Lucchini said the board continues to make the community space more appealing. The next project will be replacing portable toilets with handicapped-accessible restrooms at the rear of the lot. The goal, he said, is to create an urban activity center.
“(The pavilion) has been a great, sustainable asset in the city,” said city Councilman Ken Westcott. “This is a unique thing to have.”
Installing the roof has created new opportunities, said Rowing. A revitalized Italian Festival returned to Washington in September after ceasing in the 1980s. A holiday market will be held Dec. 2 during the annual Christmas parade, with shopping, children’s activities and entertainment.
Like Lucchini, Rowing hopes to create a gathering place for residents and visitors.
“We can get creative with events,” she said.