Anthony Portillo and Raihan Saidi also contributed to this article
Returning from previous years, Malden’s local farmer’s market started in June and ended on October 28th. Every week, farmers came to sell their goods at the City Hall Plaza from 3-7 PM, with people coming from neighboring cities.
With the event taking place for four months, many of the vendors have explained that there have been recurring customers they have seen since the beginning of the 2026 season.
“This is my first time being here this year. But last year, we’re getting repeat customers and people coming up, and making requests, which is what you want,” Aitkins explained. He has been in Malden for a short time, but customers have came back repeatedly.
Malden is overall a diverse city, being one of the more diverse high schools in the state of Massachusetts. The variety of food choices at the Farmers’ Market are nearly limitless, with seafood, local produce, baked goods, and even a hot sauce stand. “It’s very diverse. There are a lot of friendly people here. It’s a tight necked community,” said Kevin Huang, a fish store owner. Their main supply is caught from Cape Cod and the nearby islands.
“It’s a really friendly atmosphere. They all have their favorite vendors, and the vendors remember different people each week. They will put orders aside for them because they know that they’re coming,” said Kate Cruikshank, the director of the farmers market.
Cruikshank also presented the farmers market as an area for friends to hangout. Not only does the Farmers Market sell food there, but there is also live music and children’s crafting activities.
Many store vendors are willing to go to places far away and bring back harvested goods to Malden, which has been considered as a “food desert,” said Ken Rutledge. Rutledge works at Spring Brooks Farms in Littleton, Massachusetts, and has brought many crops to Malden for people to enjoy the freshly produced goods.
One thing that all the vendors have in common is that they all mentioned how diverse and sweet the community was, and how the customers keep on coming back. The Malden’s Farmer Market came to an end on October 28th but is returning next year for folks who are looking forward to having the same experience once again.
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