Monroe farmers market gets lifeline after vendor steps up

Monroe’s farmers market was close to going dark for 2026, a move that would have cut off a seasonal sales lane for local vendors and stripped a familiar gathering spot from the village center. The Village of Monroe said on May 11 that the market would not return because it did not have a manager. By then, Jeremiah Lacsina, owner of Elijo’s Natural Soap and a regular market vendor, had already volunteered to help run it, turning a possible shutdown into a quick rescue for one of Monroe’s most visible small-business fixtures.

The market is now scheduled to run every Sunday from June 7 through October 25, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Village of Monroe Commuter Parking Lot on Millpond Parkway, between Airplane Park and Bourbon Street Bar and Grill. The village says the site offers free parking, wheelchair access and a paved lot, all of which make the market easier to reach for residents and shoppers who rely on a simple, walkable local stop.

That turnaround matters because the market is more than a weekend shopping option. In 2025, Monroe’s market ran Sundays from June 1 through October 26 and was managed by Mayor Neil Dwyer. Vendors included bakeries, soaps, florals, restaurants, pickles, meats and eggs, artwork and other crafts. The village had also set a March 30 deadline for completed 2026 vendor applications, which made the lack of a manager in May especially risky for a market that depends on advance coordination, vendor sign-ups and regular promotion.

Lacsina’s role also reflects how closely tied the market is to Monroe’s small-business base. Elijo’s Natural Soap LLC was filed with the New York State Department of State on March 12, 2024, and lists 613 Stage Road in Monroe as its registered address. In a village the municipality says has about 520 residents, 20 acres of public parklands and just 1 mile of streets, the loss of even a single seasonal market would have been felt quickly. Instead, the market now remains on the calendar, preserving a place where vendors can sell, neighbors can gather and downtown Monroe can keep drawing steady summer foot traffic.