photo by: Derek Redd

Children participate in a hobby horse race at the Warwood Farmers Market on Tuesday at Garden Park.

The Warwood Farmers Market, now in its eighth year, appreciates not only the support that it has received from the Warwood community, but also organizations around the state that have allowed the market to continue its steady growth.

This past Tuesday, children darted around Garden Park participating in several competitions that reflected the market’s Olympic theme. The kids were given ice cream cones stuffed with Cheetos that resembled Olympic torches. Meanwhile, adults perused dozens of tents that housed a wide array of local goods, from fruits and vegetables to crafts.

“Each year, we’ve kind of grown a little bit at a time,” said Matt Rafa, Warwood Farmers Market co-chair, “and through the support of volunteer organizations who’ve seen this as an opportunity to engage with the community, it’s kind of turned into … our community gathering spot in the summer.”

That spot has continued to expand thanks to groups like the West Virginia Farmers Market Association and West Virginia Farmacy. The Farmacy helps people with diabetes and other chronic diseases manage their conditions through healthy eating. The West Virginia Farmers Market Association just presented the Warwood Farmers Market with a mini-grant that will allow market organizers to erect a $4,500 storage shed on the property, where they can safely and properly store items like tents, children’s programming materials and other administrative items. Another grant allows for a children’s market, where kids are given $5 to spend on healthy foods.

Other volunteer groups are offering their time and energy. The West Liberty Lions Club Family Support Center and Ohio County Virtual Lions come to the market each week to work on games and crafts with the kids, which are sponsored by Wheeling Heritage and what Rafa said is the “bread and butter” of the event.

Rafa also lauded the City of Wheeling, which has moved its Toe Tappin’ Tuesdays to Garden Park. Now market goers can hang out afterward to listen to bands each week.

All of this, Rafa said, has helped create a wonderful community focal point.

“This is a beautiful park and a cool area for our community to gather,” he said. “For me, I think the takeaway is that, once you develop a place that people call a community setting, then people do support it.”