Middlebury Peasant Market

This year’s annual Peasant Market is scheduled this year for July 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Peasant Market is the area’s largest flea market and rummage sale, and all proceeds go to support local nonprofits and service organizations. This year’s market includes a raffle for a hand-built wooden canoe. Items for sale include antiques, white elephant gifts, fresh pies, vintage clothing and jewelry, small rugs and linens, sporting goods, and more. A children’s booth will feature used clothing, toys, strollers and handmade baby gifts and crafts.Other festivities will include a midway, with games for children and families, and food vendors including the Skinny Pancake.

Read on for the full Press Release

Middlebury’s annual Peasant Market will take place this year on Saturday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Middlebury town green.

A Middlebury tradition for decades, Peasant Market got its start as a “women’s fair” shortly after St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1827. The market took on its current name in the 1940s, and has been a local tradition ever since. All proceeds are donated to area nonprofits and service organizations. Last year’s market raised more than $24,000. 

Among the highlights this year is a raffle for an 18-foot-wooden peace canoe crafted by volunteer boat wrights from the St. Stephen’s congregation. Assembled in Ed McGuire’s hangar in New Haven, the canoe is crafted out of mahogany and pine plywood and painted with a crescent moon design by Ceil Murdoch. McGuire describes the wide, stable bateau as a “very stylish” boat, ideal for a family looking to spend time on the water.

“It’s got a nice feel to it,” said McGuire. “Tipping this thing over will require some doing.” 

Raffle tickets will be on sale for $10 each at St. Stephen’s Church, the Bristol 4^th of July celebration and at Peasant Market. The drawing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the day of the market. 

Meanwhile, organizers at St. Stephen’s are combing through donated goods that will be on sale at the market. Items for sale this year include high quality antiques, white elephant gifts, vintage clothing and jewelry, small rugs and linens, sporting goods, and more. A children’s booth will feature used clothing, toys, strollers and handmade baby gifts and crafts.

St. Stephen’s pie brigade will also be baking more than 100 pies to sell at the market. Other festivities will include a midway, with games for children and families, and food vendors including the Skinny Pancake. 

Donations for the flea market will be gladly accepted at St. Stephen’s from June 30 to July 3, and July 7 to 10, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the church basement. Unfortunately, the church cannot accept computers and accessories, VCRs, televisions or DVD players, microwaves or large appliances, luggage, CDs, cassette tapes, magazines, textbooks, shoes, plastic containers or items that are not clean and in good condition.