Gladys and Market

The original seed for Stories of Market was planted last September after meeting a woman named Gladys while taking in the beauty of some oscar milkweed bunches at Thomas Produce. We struck up a conversation, and she kindly agreed to share a little bit about what Market means to her.

With a basket full of goodies and a wire carrier filled with glass milk bottles in tow, Gladys said, “I love coming to Market, because my mother stood here at stand 71 for 50 years.”

Side note: Wow, fifty years!

“We lived on a farm, and my mother grew produce, she baked cookies, and she brought whatever extra we had on the farm, like butter from our two cows. And if we had chickens, she would dress them and bring along their eggs,” she reminisced.

It was clear she has a special connection with Market after coming here as a young girl with her mother so many years ago. But what’s even more special is how she continues to share Market with her family. She visits each Friday morning to shop with her daughter. After which, she said as her face lit up with a proud smile, “I meet my granddaughter here, and we have a good time.”

As to her favorite stand, she most often frequents Groff’s Vegetables: “I love Groff’s. I get my lettuce there, my homegrown celery, and my radishes – just anything I see there that I like. They’re wonderful people.”

We think they’re pretty great, too, Gladys, and thank you for taking the time to share with us your love of Market!

Up next Wednesday, Scott Smith from Lancaster County Coffee Roasters.

Browse Additional Blog Posts

Setting the Table for Harvest Breakfast 2022

Setting the Table for Harvest Breakfast 2022

Mark Your Calendars! We've started the countdown to the most delicious day of the year! One of the Market's most popular annual traditions takes place on the first Saturday in October. Join the Lancaster Central Market for the 24th Annual Harvest Breakfast on...

Celebrate Summer Recipe

Celebrate Summer Recipe

  Celebrate the Season All Summer Long! Conner Smith can be found at the Fox & Wolf Stand #39 at Market. He fills his stand to the brim each week with USDA-certified organic produce, eggs, and farm flowers from a generational farm in Pine Grove started by his...

Bruce and Market

Bruce and Market

When Bruce Martin first came to know Lancaster Central Market in the 1980’s he was reminded of home, “my 90+-year-old landlady would grab her market basket and walk to the Central Market returning with produce similar to what I remember growing in our family garden as...

Miesse Candies and Market

Miesse Candies and Market

Since November 2011 Miesse Candies has been a staple of the Central Market Family. However, the history of the chocolate business and Market intertwine throughout Miesse’s 145-year history boasting multiple downtown locations, sometimes at the same time. “Miesse...

Holidays at Market

Holidays at Market

Back to Normal! The past two years have changed everything. Our holidays and gatherings were not the same. We hope this year you can safely gather with your friends and family. It’s a nice return to normal. At Market, it brings us joy that we can host you again....

Crowded Kitchen and Market

Crowded Kitchen and Market

“Opening here with a really loyal community... the local shopping community, I’m so glad.” In 2015, Drew Moore left his career and sold his home to follow his culinary dreams to New York City. After five years in the industry, Moore knew food was his passion but he...

Soulcialize and Market

Soulcialize and Market

When Corey Woods took over Rafiki’s African Deli in early 2020 he had big plans for the stand.  What he could not predict was the coronavirus pandemic and how it would shape his business over the next several months. “It started off...I would say it was average but...

Lancaster Central Market Mask Policy

Lancaster Central Market Mask Policy

Dear Lancaster Community, During these unprecedented times, the Central Market Trust has remained committed to maintaining the core functions of Lancaster Central Market: serving as a fresh food source for the Lancaster community. As we have entered the green phase in...