It’s a big week for Bridgeport Farmers Market. As a record season comes to a close, the organization hosts its annual autumn community dinner with some very special guests.

 

Tickets for the Oct. 15 Harvest Feast Community Dinner at Bridgeport Conference Center will be available this Sunday, Oct. 12 at the last outdoor market event of the season.

 

“We encourage everyone to come out and join us,” said BFM President Debbie Workman. “We still have some local produce available – pumpkins, gourds and there are still some ripe tomatoes out there. We’ll also have potatoes, onions, peppers and all of our proteins. Some of our artisan vendors are starting to think about Christmas gift ideas and, of course, we’ll have our brunch.”

 

Also highlighting the market will be Bridgeport’s Cub Scout Troop 39’s annual popcorn fundraiser, music under the tent by Rus Reppert and students of Pierpont Culinary Academy performing chef demonstrations.

At the BFM tent, Harvest Feast Community Dinner tickets will be for sale for $20 each. The 6 p.m. Oct. 15 dinner will feature seasonal local foods prepared by Bridgeport Conference Center staff, beer pairings by Big Timber Brewing Company out of Elkins and West Virginia Commissioner of Tourism Amy Goodwin, who will serve as keynote speaker.

 

“We’re incredibly happy to have her here, along with other tourism officials who will be here to take part in the tourism conference going on next week,” Workman said.  

 

Dinner attendees will also be treated to an appearance by the cast of “HONK,” to be presented by Bridgeport High School Theatre Oct. 23-26.

 

“They will be floating around in costume, greeting people and maybe doing some comic relief,” Workman said.

 

Following the dinner, guests may want to stroll on over to Mia Margherita for the restaurant’s Wednesday evening entertainment – a nice way to end the evening, Workman said.

 

Bridgeport Farmers Market’s sixth season has been a banner year.

 

“It’s the largest year we’ve ever had. We’ve increased our vendor base by probably 30 percent and our sales by 30 to 40 percent,” Workman said. “We saw a lot of the same customers week after week and we saw a lot of new faces – people just stopping in off the interstate. We’ve also had a chef’s demo every single week and it’s been a huge success.”

 

Also new to the market’s offerings was the Hash Browns & New Grounds food truck. Bridgeport Farmers Market 2014 also featured a bigger variety of vendors – from artisans to bakers – and received a pair of marketing awards from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.  

 

“We won for best social media campaign for any agritourism in the state – not just farmers markets – and for best rack card for any farmers market in the state,” Workman said. 

 

Tickets for the Harvest Feast Community Dinner can also be purchased by calling Workman at 304-669-4340 or emailing bridgeportfarmersmarket@yahoo.com.

 

Looking ahead, the first winter market event will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9 inside Bridgeport Conference Center.