Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market Returns June 13 with Live Music, Yoga and a Growing Roster of Local Vendors
Steve Miraglia, market manager and board secretary for the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association, says this year’s market in the Village of Ballston Spa, NY is shaping up to be its most interactive yet — with morning yoga, live music in the newly renovated Wiswall Park, and new food vendors traveling from as far as Atlanta to take part.
When the Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market opens for the 2026 season on Saturday, June 13, it returns with more to offer than ever. Miraglia, who manages the market for the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association (BSBPA), has spent the off-season building on the market’s strong foundation — adding morning yoga, live music and special event days that make a Saturday morning at the market as much about the experience as the shopping.
Personal by Design
The market runs every Saturday from June 13 through October 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Wiswall Park in the center of the village. The only Saturday off is the Fourth of July weekend, when, as Miraglia put it, “a lot of people are out of town traveling.”
What sets the Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market apart is its intimacy. With a dozen to 20 or so vendors each week, it’s the kind of market where shoppers can take their time, talk with the growers and makers, and come back for their favorites week after week. “We’re no Saratoga or Troy farmers’ market — those go for blocks and blocks of actual cities,” Miraglia said. “We’re a small village.” It’s a scale he embraces, one that keeps the market personal and rooted in the community it serves.
That personal scale also makes the market a welcoming place for new businesses to launch. New this year, vendors can sign up for individual Saturdays rather than committing to a full season — a change Miraglia hopes opens the door to even more local entrepreneurs. “I like to think of us as a bit more of a developmental market for new businesses,” he said. “If you’re just starting a business, or you’ve been around maybe a year or so, and you want to try a farmers’ market, we’re a great first market for you.” Backed by a steady, loyal customer base and a vendor-friendly approach, the market has become a place where local makers and growers are proud to get their start.
Local Farms, New Faces and a Wider Range of Food
Most of the market’s vendors come from nearby farms and businesses. Among the anchors are My Other Garden and Buhrmaster Farms, longtime growers Miraglia describes as community mainstays. “They have been mainstays for decades here, well before I started helping with the farmers’ market,” he said. “They really care about the community.”
This season the lineup is broadening. Alongside the familiar produce and a growing number of bakers, the market has drawn vendors offering Salvadoran food, Mediterranean food and pizza, as well as craft vendors selling candles, jewelry, sewn goods and handmade soap from longtime favorite White Falcon Soapery. One new arrival Miraglia is especially looking forward to is Shane Ben’s Chicken, a vendor moving back to the area after several years in Atlanta. “They were the first ones to reach out when we opened up registration,” he said. “They’re going to be selling their homemade comfort food — your fried chicken, things like that — and it looks so good. I’m really excited.”
More Than a Place to Shop
The biggest changes this year are aimed at giving visitors a reason to linger. For the first time, the market will open each Saturday with a yoga class led by local studio Saha Yoga. “You can come do a class out in the park before it gets too hot during the day,” Miraglia said. Once yoga wraps up, live musicians take over, performing from the new gazebo in Wiswall Park, which the village fully renovated last year.
The shift toward events follows the runaway success of the market’s first Peach Fest last summer. “We thought it was just going to maybe get a few more people to come check us out,” Miraglia recalled. “We got thousands of people interested on our social media, we did a news interview, we got a lot of press coverage, and there were lines around the block — for peaches.” He credits Tatiana, owner of vendor the Yellow Corner Shop, with the original idea. Peach Fest returns on August 15, with Autumn Fest following on October 3. “What those showed is people like more of an event than just coming to buy stuff,” he said.
The Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market is one of many free community programs the BSBPA puts on throughout the year, from February’s Chocolate Fest to the “The Way We Were” Car Show and summer concerts in the park. For Miraglia, it all comes back to the village he’s working to promote. “It’s got that small-town feel while still being big enough — there’s a lot of stuff going on, and they’ve got the historic buildings,” he said. “It’s a really nice vibe.” Updates on weekly vendors and events are posted on the BSBPA’s Facebook and Instagram pages and at ballston.org.
For More Information
The Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 13 through October 3, in Wiswall Park in the Village of Ballston Spa, NY. For weekly vendor lineups, event details and contact information for the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association, visit ballston.org or follow the BSBPA on Facebook and Instagram.
