Del Ray Farmers Market cancelled Saturday for first time in over 30 years
Ice storm conditions forced 100 dump truck loads of ice to be hauled out of Del Ray alone
The Del Ray Farmers Market will not open this Saturday due to ice from this week’s storm—the first cancellation in more than 30 years, according to market manager Pat Miller.
Many farmers travel from locations outside Alexandria, where roads remain unplowed, and conditions in Del Ray still need work, Miller said. The market will return Feb. 7.
City Manager Jim Parajon told City Council Tuesday night that the storm was the worst ice storm in 30 years, with over 7 inches of snow followed by hours of freezing rain and sleet that turned to solid ice. Crews hauled approximately 100 dump truck loads of ice out of Del Ray alone—something Parajon said hadn’t been done in decades.
The year-round market launched in September 1994 with just a handful of vendors and has grown into a community institution now in its 32nd year. What began as an organic produce market evolved into a farmers-only operation before expanding to include local gardeners, artisans, nonprofits and prepared foods.
The market operates every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the corner of East Oxford and Mount Vernon avenues. More information is available at delrayfarmersmarket.com.