NORWICH – Having recently been named the new overseer of the summertime farmers market in downtown Norwich, the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) is moving ahead with plans to make this year's market more viable for local consumers.

Since being given authority over the market by the Chenango County Board of Supervisors last month, the Bullthistle Farmers Market Committee, a subsidiary of the Business Improvement District, has been soliciting new vendors and ideas to improve the downtown market. The Bullthistle Farmers Market, formerly the Chenango County Farmers Market, is a fresh start to an old tradition, said BID Administrator Ann Coe.

“We're really working to get more participation this year and to get more people downtown,” said Coe. “It's going to be a new and improved market.”

The Bullthistle Farmers Market will consist of produce and craft vendors, and live entertainment each week. From musicians to cooking demonstrations to fitness instruction, the goal is to have a more diverse market to draw people in, said Coe. The agency is presently seeking local talent to participate.

Since the 1930's, the farmers market in the county-owned East Park in Norwich has been facilitated by the Chenango County Farmers Market, an organization governed by a set of bylaws that adhered to the Norwich City Charter. But with dwindling participation in recent years, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors put the BID at the helm in hopes of increasing participation, drawing in business, and turning over a new leaf for the market.