After a smooth New Canaan Farmers Market “drive-thru” model debut last weekend, town officials say they’ve green-lighted a larger pickup-only event for Saturday and will consider a restricted walk-thru system after May 20.
Conceived as a way to hold the popular Farmers Market while observing guidelines to limit transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the 300-patron drive-thru model used an advanced registration system and “was very well-organized,” according to New Canaan Health Director Jennifer Eielson.
“There were no issues, we did not have a single issue,” Eielson told NewCanaanite.com.
“There were no traffic problems, either,” she added.
The 300 slots for those seeking to order in advance and pick up locally grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, honey and other items from select vendors filled up quickly, and the approximately 530 slots approved for this coming Saturday’s second drive-thru also have been taken, officials said.
Eielson said a proposed walk-thru model is to be approved by the Board of Selectmen and leaders in the New Canaan Emergency Operations Center. Asked what types of restrictions could be part of it, Eielson said a one-way flow of pedestrian traffic, standing markers on distancing so attendees know specifically where they can be in approaching vendors’ tables, hand-washing stations, masks and limitations on how many people could move through it simultaneously.
Patricia Spugani, a New Canaan resident and longtime Farmers Market attendee who has volunteered this year to help steer those who organize the event through municipal approvals, said the proposed walk-thru model “will implement all social distancing guidelines that the state has required.”
“The state considers the Farmers Market to be an essential business and we consider it to be an open air grocery store,” she said.
Customers visiting the vendors’ tables would maintain six feet of distance between themselves and those selling, and would not handle any of the goods, she said.
“Customers will tell vendors what they want and it will get packed up and customers will pay however much they pay,” she said.
“The most important thing is that each of the farmers and vendors participating are incredibly pleased and thankful to be able to participate in the market in New Canaan,” Spugani said. “They are very happy to come back to town. That said everybody is looking forward to a walk-thru model when town demes safe to do so.”