The Union Square Farmers Market launches its 20th season this Saturday at Union Square Plaza.

Union Square Main Streets celebrates the opening of the 20th season of the Union Square Farmers Market in Somerville this Saturday, May 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Union Square Plaza. The market will be open rain or shine Saturdays through October 26, except September 21.

Since 2005, shoppers from all over Greater Boston have filled their reusable bags with high quality, fresh, nutrient-dense foods from local vendors at the Union Square Farmers Market. This annual neighborhood event continues to serve as a catalyst for vibrancy, economic opportunity, and community connection in Union Square, Somerville.

“Twenty years of our community gathering, of enabling economic opportunity for the market’s diverse vendors, and of positioning Union Square as a favorite Saturday morning destination is exciting to celebrate,” said Jessica Eshleman, executive director of Union Square Main Streets, the nonprofit that produces the market.

“This tradition is the fruit of so many people coming together to perpetuate an inclusive, healthy oasis in the densest city in New England. Kudos to businesses who share the plaza; sponsors, the City of Somerville, and individual donors who help make the market and its SNAP match possible; and neighbors who make the Square the place to be on Saturdays. They are the superstars behind two decades of sustaining open-air access to locally grown and produced healthy food – and vital community connections.”

Thousands of shoppers including award-winning chefs, local business leaders, and neighbors near and far make the Union Square Farmers Market a delectable destination each Saturday during the season. Returning for a 20th year, 50+ local farms and food producers welcome shoppers with open arms, outstanding goods, cooking tips, and recipe suggestions, creating a culinary community where all are welcome.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) shoppers are valued customers at Union Square Farmers Market. The market is proud to continue to serve a critical role in Somerville’s food security system by offering a dollar-for-dollar SNAP match up to $15 per market. While providing SNAP customers with a match has been a priority for the market since it opened in 2005, it is thanks to a partnership with the City of Somerville and the Somerville Farmers Market Coalition (in collaboration with Mass Farmers Markets, Somerville Winter Farmers Market, and Somerville Mobile Farmers Market) and customers investing in their neighborhood through the annual Good Food For All campaign that has sustained this important community resource year after year.

Union Square Farmers Market proudly boasts that businesses as local as Somerville itself round out the vendor roster. With businesses such as Somerville Arts Council’s Nibble Kitchen, Chappy’s Pickles, Deano’s Pasta, and Tex Mex Eats, customers can eat easily knowing their dollars will directly benefit Somerville’s local economy.

While at the market, customers will be right at the doorsteps of some of the most historic, diverse, and popular businesses in Somerville and the Greater Boston Area. Customers are encouraged to grab a friend, family member, or pet to make each Saturday a “Shop the Square Saturday,” and visit local businesses before or after they stop in. These elements in particular resonate with the 2024 Union Square Farmers Market Season Sponsor, Boynton–Yards, a DLJ and Leggat McCall Project.

The Union Square Farmers Market is made possible for a fifth year thanks to generous support from its 2024 Season Sponsor Boynton Yards, a project of DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners and Leggat McCall Properties; the City of Somerville; and donors who contribute to help make the SNAP Match possible.

“Boynton Yards is pleased again to be USMS’s social impact partner in bringing healthy produce and social opportunities to the Somerville community,” said John Fenton, managing partner of DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, on behalf of the Boynton Yards development team.

“There is no substitute for the grassroots collaboration that USMS has demonstrated with the Farmers Market and other neighborhood events, and we look forward to supporting their remarkable efforts again this year.”

The Union Square Farmers Market is made possible for a fifth year thanks to generous support from Boynton–Yards, a DLJ and Leggat McCall Project, its 2024 Season Sponsor; the City of Somerville; and donors who contribute to help make the SNAP Match possible.