Last year, Voyage Mount Joy set a goal to bring a market back to town. The nonprofit organized the Market at Mount Joy in September, and the effort was so successful, it will return for a second year, and it will have an expanded season. The market will be held in the American Legion Post 185 lot, 560 Clay Alley, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month from May through October, beginning on May 5.

Voyage Mount Joy was formed in early 2021 to market Mount Joy as a destination for shopping, dining and more. Business leaders, community members and residents have volunteered with the organization to not only promote the town, but also to create keystone events for Mount Joy, said Sheri Bare, president of Voyage Mount Joy. "We knew right away that one of our first major community collaborations was to bring a market back to Mount Joy," she said.

Katie Roering, director of marketing and social media for the organization, added, "The original market in Mount Joy was a beloved weekly outing for many residents. We believe in the importance of supporting our local small businesses and hope that our market can be an incubator for future businesses in town."

As Roering explained, the Market at Mount Joy is a hybrid event that's a mix of farmers market, food truck event and maker's market. Based on community feedback, this year's market will feature more food trucks and additional entertainment. "We will have Hank Imhof playing a combination of blues, jazz, gospel, folk, bluegrass and rock," Roering noted. "Hank will be playing each Market from May through September. We encourage everyone to bring a lawn chair to sit, eat and listen."

Many of the vendors are returning from the previous year, with some additions. Food will be offered by Stoney's Burgers & Fries, PaPa Sneaux, Dutch Country Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels, Cupcakes by Casey, Made With Love Not Gluten Bakery and The Gathering Place. Regard's Winery will offer tastings and sell wine by the bottle. Other vendors will include Girl Crush Company, Seed & Bloom Farm, Retherford Family Produce, LancGoods and Matt Thompson Photography.

"The market gives an opportunity to come out in Mount Joy and have dinner, do some shopping and support our local vendors, as well as relax and enjoy the music," Roering remarked. "Mount Joy has such a fun community, and we love encouraging everyone to come together for a few hours."

For more information, including vendor previews, search for "The Market at Mount Joy" or "Voyage Mount Joy" on Facebook or Instagram. As of April 20, a few vendor spots were still open, and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit http://www.voyagemountjoy.com.