A longtime downtown farmers market tradition will continue this summer under a new name and location as GoggleWorks Center for the Arts prepares to launch the Reading Roots Market.
The weekly market will open June 11 at GoggleWorks, located at 201 Washington St., after uncertainty surrounding the future of the former Penn Street Market.
According to GoggleWorks, the Penn Street Market was at risk of disappearing amid organizational changes and ongoing development efforts downtown. With support from the Wyomissing Foundation, GoggleWorks has stepped in to continue the market while expanding its offerings to include arts, cultural programming and community activities.
The Reading Roots Market will be held every Thursday from June 11 through Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the GoggleWorks courtyard.
Vendors scheduled to participate include local farms and producers such as Bog Turtle Creek Farm, Farm Traveler LLC and GoggleWorks Gardens at Lauer’s Park. Organizers said the market will also feature art demonstrations, live entertainment, family activities and community organizations.
“Reading Roots Market is about more than preserving a farmers market,” said Levi Landis, executive director of GoggleWorks. “It is about protecting a vital community gathering space, supporting local food access, celebrating creativity, and making downtown Reading a more vibrant place to live, work, and visit.”
The launch is part of a broader effort by GoggleWorks to activate its growing outdoor campus, which now includes the Art Park, Thorn Alley Stage and Thorn Alley Kitchen. The organization said the spaces are intended to host markets, performances, public events and cultural programming throughout the year.
In addition to the market, opening day festivities will include a live weaving demonstration by visiting textile artist Avelina Martínez García from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on the Thorn Alley Stage. Presented in partnership with the Consulate of Mexico, the bilingual program will showcase Indigenous textile traditions, including natural dyeing, spinning and backstrap loom weaving.
The day’s events will conclude with a World Cup kickoff viewing party at Thorn Alley Kitchen beginning at 3 p.m., featuring the Mexico vs. South Africa match. Organizers said the event will serve as the start of a series of World Cup watch parties planned at GoggleWorks throughout the tournament, including a July 2 event ahead of Reading’s FIFA Fan Zone festivities.
Community members are invited to attend the opening day celebration and return throughout the season for fresh produce, local vendors, cultural programming and community activities.
The Reading Roots Market will run Thursdays from June 11 through Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, 201 Washington St., Reading.
