PLAN YOUR VISIT
Dear Penn Street Market Friends,
The Penn Street Market opened on Thursday, June 4th at 10 AM with a commitment to continuing our mission to provide fresh, healthy food for the downtown Reading community. Our main objective is to ensure the safety and health of our customers, vendors, and staff and to reduce the exposure and spread of COVID-19. We have actively made operational and procedural changes outlined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and integrating guidelines put forth by the PA Department of Agriculture.
We know these times have been hard for all of us. Please know that the Market is here for you and we are working hard to make sure we can be as safe and as convenient for you as possible. We will continue to follow the situation and adapt as needed. We looking forward to connecting our community to fresh, local food while supporting our farmer and producer neighbors livelihoods.
It is of the utmost importance that everyone on the premises of the Market adheres to best practices at all times to keep ourselves, our food providers, our families, and our neighbors as safe as possible.
With Gratitude – The Penn Street Market Team
Penn Street Market Policies + Safety Recommendations for Customers
What you can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19 at the Market
- Wear a Mask Keep your mouth and nose covered at all times if you are able to wear one.
- Shop Solo to reduce the number of people at the market. If possible, please send one shopper per household. If you have a friend or neighbor who is in a more vulnerable population (such as elderly, those with respiratory problems, etc.), consider offering to pick up groceries for them at the farmers market, so they don’t have to come.
- Keep Your Distance Practice safe social distancing – Allow at least 6 feet of space between shoppers – check for markers on the ground. Please be patient when waiting in line to shop.
- Please Don’t Touch Don’t touch food until you’ve purchased it. Tell vendors what you want and they will pack it for you. When purchasing products from vendors, please wait until your bag has been placed on the table. Once the vendor has stepped back you may approach to pay & collect your goods. As always, wash fruits and veggies when you return home.
- Wash Your Hands A hand washing station will be available to the public. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use provided hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your face. Cough or sneeze into your arm, away from people and food.
- Leave Pets at Home Unless you use a service dog, please leave dogs at home. They can make social distancing an even bigger challenge.
Observe all posted signage, and listen to instructions of market staff and vendors – we are here to help and to keep you safe. Please keep in mind that new rules are for your protection.
How the Market will be Different
Focus on Fresh Food only to start the season! We will be kicking off the season with our two main produce vendors Blue Mountain Academy Farm and Country Lane Poultry and Produce.
A new market layout with social distance and minimizing contact in mind:
- Look for specific entry and exit points, designated by signs
- One-way lines in front of vendors and through the market area
- Markings on the ground to indicate how far apart to stand from fellow shoppers
- Additional space between customers and food
- Vendors will collect and bag all requested items for you
To prevent people from gathering and getting too close, all non-essential programming will be postponed until further notice:
- No live entertainment
- No community partner tables
- No interactive activities, such as yoga, Zumba or kids’ crafts
- Seating areas removed – you won’t find food court tables and chairs
- No food samples, nutrition education, and live food demos from The Food Trust are postponed until further notice
There is a chance that if restrictions are lifted or safety levels change later in the season, some of the community activities could return.
Please note – to start the season we have postponed the participation of prepared food vendors. We are looking forward to seeing our favorite restaurants and food truck vendors sometime starting in July.
How the Market will be the Same
- We provide essential services and food to our community;
- We support local farms & businesses;
- We serve a vital food access role for families of all income levels; We will continue to run our incentive programs, such as SNAP, WIC/Senior FMNP, and Berks Farm Bucks (BFB) to help your dollars go farther on healthy, fresh food.
The Penn Street Market is deeply rooted in our community. We hope to see you this summer. We thank you for continuing to support local farms and small businesses. We appreciate your kindness and patience as we all adapt together to these changing times.
Hours Of Operation:
June 4 – September 3, 2020
Thursdays | 10 AM – 2 PM
Location:
445 Penn Street
Reading, PA 19601
One of the things that makes the Penn Street Market so special is its central location in downtown Reading. We understand that its central location can make it challenging when deciding where to park. Luckily, there are several affordable options available near 5th and Penn Streets, including street parking, parking garages, and parking lots. We are grateful to the Reading Parking Authority for offering free parking on Thursdays at the 4th and Cherry Garage and at the metered, on-street parking in the 400 Block of Penn Street. Please see a Penn Street Market Team Member for parking garage vouchers.
