Angel Hair Alpacas Returns to Westborough Farmers' Market

North Grafton's Angel Hair Alpacas return to the Westborough Farmers' Market this season, which starts next Thursday.

The Westborough Farmers’ Market will run from noon to 6 p.m. this season – earlier hours than the 1 to 7 p.m. schedule of its first two summers, said Dave McMahon, one of the market managers.

The farmers’ market will be held on the Congregational Church of Westborough lawn, 57 West Main St., until the end of September.

“Westborough doubles in size during the day because of the work crowd that comes in,” McMahon said Thursday.

“We’re hoping that some people will come to lunch at the market and then they’ll walk around and look at the local jewelry we have, locally produced wine, stuff like that.”

About 25 vendors will participate this year, McMahon said.

“You can buy a gift for somebody,” he said.

“You can pick up dinner and dessert. It’s all there at the market.”

Angel Hair Alpacas of North Grafton will offer live alpacas every other week, McMahon said.

Isador’s Organics of Oxford is among the additions to the line-up.

“They do some really delicious wraps, sandwiches, side salads to bring home,” McMahon said.

Another new vendor is 7 Acre Farm of Berlin, which offers goat milk soap and lotions, he said.

New vendor Wheatless Bliss of Bellingham will offer “baked goods that are gluten free,” McMahon said.

“That’s a key thing in this day and age, because there are so many people with gluten allergies or who are trying to keep to a gluten-free diet,” he said.

Westborough landmark Harvey’s Farm also will participate for the first time, McMahon said.

“That’s what’s great about the market: it’s a fun event to see your neighbors downtown It’s also a great event for kids. We have a free craft every week,” he said.

“We have live music. It’s almost serving the purpose of ‘Westborough local.’”

Westborough’s Emery Family Farm will carry Armeno Coffee,  “a great local roadster out of Northborough,” McMahon noted.

Warren Farm Syrup, which was “voted the top-rated Massachusetts syrup producer,” will be carried at the tent of the Dismas Family Farm of Worcester, he said.

Some visitors to the farmers’ market late last season may remember Fior D’Italia Pasta and Cheese, which does “some wonderful homemade pastas, sauces, ravioli, really good high quality stuff,” McMahon said. Fior D’Atalia has a facility in Vermont, with local distributors, he said.

The market’s vendor selection is such that visitors “could buy their beef from Rocky Ridge Beef Farm, get bread from Five Loaves Bakery, and they can get a side salad from Isador’s,” McMahon said.

The market also will feature music by Dylan Smith and friends, who play “traditional, similar to Bluegrass music,” he said.

And, a free kids craft will be offered each week.

And, Boston-based Next Step Living will offer free energy audits, he said.

The farmers’ market and the Westborough Public Library are teaming up to present “Screen on the Green,” a free Thursday night movie series at Bay State Green Park on Union Street.

All of the movies start at 8:30 p.m., starting June 20.

 “We’re very pleased that the library is doing the movie series, because that feeds in this ‘Thursday Civic Pride Day in Westborough’: come to the market, get your dinner, come home, make it, and then come back out for a free movie,” McMahon said.

This year's vendors are:

• Bellingham: Wheatless Bliss
• Boston: Globe Fish Company, Next Step Living

• Mendon: Everything Blueberry/Vandervalk Tree Farm
• North Brookfield: Rocky Ridge Beef Farm

• North Grafton: Angel Hair Alpacas
• Oxford: Isador's Organics
• Shrewsbury: Zoll Brothers Private Cellar Winery
• Southborough: Yummy Mummy Brownies
• Spencer: Five Loaves Bakery

• Sterling: Crystal Brook Farm

• Westborough: Elsie Kaye Glassworks of Westborough, Emery Family Farm, Heirloom Harvest Community Farm and CSA, Mugford's Flower Shoppe, Olde Nourse Farm

• Winchendon: 7 Acre Farm

• Worcester: Dismas House

The list also includes:

• Everything Jalapeno and Not