The Lewiston Farmers Market Association held its first winter markets this year since the pandemic, with organizers saying it was good to be back.

“The first year of anything is always tough, but we have room to grow,” said Jon Staples, board chair for the Lewiston Farmers Market Association. “We saw some of the same customers every week, new customers every week. But we’re looking to grow.”

The final winter market will be held Thursday, March 26, at Edward Little High School at 77 Harris St. from 4-7 p.m..

The Lewiston Farmers Market Association was founded in 2004 by a group of local farmers and organizations who were committed to revitalizing downtown Lewiston and making fresh food accessible and affordable to residents, according to the association’s website.

The group started with a summer market. While it saw a success, it was the winter market, which started in 2009 inside the Gather To Grow building at 208 Bates St., that really helped catalyze and grow the summer market by bringing in new customers and vendors, said Sherie Blumenthal, board treasurer of the association.

The winter market was moved to the YWCA for its 2016-17 season, Blumenthal said. But when the pandemic hit, the organization decided to shift both of its markets online. Following the pandemic, the summer market was brought back, but the winter market wasn’t.

For the next three years, the winter market was put on pause. However, Blumenthal said getting it back up had been a goal for the organization for a few years, and when they found a spot at the Edward Little High School in 2025, they jumped at the chance.

The market has been held one day a month from 4-7 p.m. starting in December, Blumenthal and Staples said. There have been between four and eight vendors at each market selling a wide variety of goods, including root vegetables, spices and soaps. Some of the vendors include Mainely Soaps, Moonrise Hollow Farm and Wild Fruitings.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any challenges.

“They’re not weekly and it’s hard to get momentum and people come out less in the winter,” Blumenthal said. “When we had them we had a consistent base of customers and vendors and we feel like we can build that up again.”

“We’re not visible,” Staples said. “With the summer market on Lincoln Street, we were there and everyone could see us. With the winter market, I put up a couple signs but we don’t have permanent signs and a lot of people still don’t know the area.”

Besides being a board director for the Farmers Market, Staples also participated in each of the winter markets with his spice business, Spicy Staples. He said that while winter markets are tough in bringing in new business, they really serve another purpose.

“The winter market isn’t where we make our money,” he said. “It’s where we continue our relationship with the customers, keep them in a routine during the winter and have them come back every week in the spring.”

Blumenthal and Staples said they’re already looking ahead to the next year’s winter market season, which may open earlier in November. They also said they’re looking to expand the number of vendors.

At the same time, the two said they’re going to work on advertising the indoor winter market more on social media, with the expectation of generating more interest heading into the next season.

“The indoor winter market is here to stay,” Blumenthal said. “It is a pillar of our community and we want to make sure the community can support local farmers and artisans. We want our customers to not skip a beat from the summer market to the winter market and we’re excited for what the next season holds.”

This year’s summer market opens on Sunday, May 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 75 Lincoln St. in Lewiston and is expected to see between 18 and 25 vendors, Blumenthal said.