Thanks to the votes of passionate fans, the Easton Public Market is officially the best in the county according to a nationwide contest.
The Easton Public Market received the most votes in the 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for Best Public Market.
The Greater Easton Development Partnership, which runs the market, announced the win on Friday.
The Easton Public Market beat out 19 other contenders from around the county including the 2022 and 2021 winner, the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, which placed third in this year’s rankings.
Other notable sites included the Boston Public Market, ranked fifth, the Lancaster Central Market, which placed eighth, and Seattle’s Pike Place Market, which came in 10th.
The 20 contenders were nominated by a panel of experts including editors from USA Today and 10Best.com, contributors, and sources from Gannett properties. The vote was then opened to the public for 28 days, ending on July 3.
In a statement, the Easton Public Market‘s manager Megan McBride thanked fans who voted for the market and hailed the recognition as a sign of Easton’s food culture and the market’s strength.
“To be only seven years old and win over bigger public markets that have been around for decades validates our decision to open EPM and attract the high-quality vendors who call it home,” she said.
“Easton’s reputation as a food destination began in 1752 with opening of the Easton Farmers’ Market and continues to this day with an amazing diversity of restaurants, big Easton food events like PA Bacon Fest, and this national award.”
The list of top 10 best public markets across the country can be found here.
A thank-you party celebration is being planned for July 28, in conjunction with the GEDP’s Fourth Friday/Easton Out Loud event in the plaza between the Easton Public Market and the new Fourth Street Garage.
Opened in 2016 and located at 325 Northampton St, the indoor market includes 14 local vendors serving ready-to-eat foods, produce, meats, beverages and housewares, and also includes a community room, demonstration kitchen, a play area, and the Highmark Farmstand, which offers local and organic produce and food items.
The GEDP said that in the 12 months ending in March 2023, more than 375,000 people visited the Easton Public Market.
(Original air-date: 7/18/23)
