The Lancaster Community Market will return to the area on Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place at 311 Stanley K. Tanger Drive, Lancaster, located by the guest service area of the Tanger Outlets, and it will include live entertainment, kids activities and local vendors and nonprofit organizations.

Live music for the Lancaster Community Market will be provided by gospel musician Chuck Mock and local outfit Small Town Troubadours, a rock band based in Quarryville. Small Town Troubadours' members include high school students from the Solanco and Hempfield school districts.

Multiple local vendors will sell a variety of items during the event, including homemade jewelry, hand-poured candles, wreaths, dog treats and accessories and bath products. Lancaster-based author Chas Williamson will have books available for purchase and signing.

Food and beverages will be available to purchase from a slew of food trucks, such as G's Concessions, Brotherly Love Scratch Kitchen, Under the Bridge Cider, Joe's Fish Sandwiches and Kona Ice of Lancaster.

Several nonprofit organizations will operate stations at the Lancaster Community Market to provide information and offer free activities for kids. Organizations such as the Lafayette Fire Department, Vital Theatre Company and many local food pantries will be in attendance, and the children's activities will include a bounce house and face painting.

The Lancaster Community Market was first organized in 2021 by MJ Small Business Squad, a marketing agency that seeks to promote locally owned companies in Lancaster. MJ Squad began organizing community events after the COVID-19 pandemic to assist business owners who were heavily affected by the resulting closures. When Tanger Outlets contacted MJ Squad about hosting an event, MJ Squad's co-founder Megan Kalbach said that she was ecstatic about the partnership. "Tanger Outlets reached out wanting to support our mission, which is great because it's such a hub for businesses in the area," Kalbach added. "The event has had a large boost of support from the community and has helped us support so many businesses and nonprofits."

The Lancaster Community Market drew over 1,000 attendees in its first year. Kalbach received a wave of positive feedback from those in the community, as well as visitors of Lancaster who were pleasantly surprised by the festivities. Due to the fact that buses from surrounding areas stop at Tanger Outlets, Kalbach said the location of the market helps to promote the culture of businesses in Lancaster and extend their reach.

For more information or to register as a vendor for the event, visit http://www.mjsquad.com/events.