Rochester Public Market Open on November 22 for Pre-Thanksgiving Shopping
The City of Rochester announced on Wed., Nov. 15, 2023 that the Rochester Public Market will be open on Wed., Nov. 22 from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This exception to the market’s regular schedule is part of a holiday tradition in which it opens during special hours in anticipation of Thanksgiving.
The market will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thu., Nov. 23.
“Everyone should make it a tradition to visit the Rochester Public Market as part of their Thanksgiving holiday preparations,” said Mayor Malik D. Evans. “It’s a great way to shop for fresh ingredients that are affordable, sustainable, and supportive of our local businesses and producers. With the Market Token Program, it’s simple to use SNAP benefits to purchase healthy, local food to contribute to a wholesome holiday meal.”
According to the city, over the last 15 years, Friends of the Rochester Public Market have operated the Market Token Program which is designed to facilitate use and acceptance of wooden tokens in relation to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the Market in purchases between shoppers and vendors.
The city says that the Market Token Program makes SNAP benefit shopping easier for shoppers and vendors because shoppers only need to swipe their card once in one location, and vendors don’t have to take on the tasks and costs of having their own SNAP benefits operations. An additional benefit to SNAP shoppers is that through the Fresh Connect Program, New York State offers a 100% bonus on the first $50 of SNAP benefits redeemed on each Public Market day.
Information supplied by the city says that as 2023 comes to a close, the use of SNAP benefits at the Rochester Public Market may reach a record high. As of Sep. 30, 2023, SNAP benefit use reached $741,622. The program is on track to surpass 2022’s SNAP redemption total of $957,404. Each year the SNAP redemption total has been increasing.
SNAP recipients can visit the Market Token Center on market shopping days.
“We’re proud of the work that the City of Rochester and the Friends of the Public Market have accomplished to make healthy food more accessible through the Market Token Program,” said Jim Farr, Director of the Rochester Public Market. “This Thanksgiving season, we’re grateful for this success and for the opportunity to continue to grow the program and reach more Rochesterians who can enjoy its benefits.”
Rochester Public Market is located at 280 North Union Street.
More information about the Rochester Public Market is available at: www.cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket.
