Fresh fruits and vegetables, music and movie posters, hand-crafted jewelry, and lots of thrifted clothing: With an open market running every Sunday until October 30th, and a farmer’s market practically year-round, Sundays in Harvard Square are filled with opportunities to talk and shop. I spent a few hours at the markets and asked students and business-owners how they spend their Sundays in the Square.
Marie Jensen ’26 came to the Charles Square farmer’s market looking for one thing: carrots. “I’m a big fan of carrots,” she said. “It’s actually my second time here, so I try to go every Sunday to get new carrots, fruits, and vegetables.”
Hi-Rise Bread Company is a popular spot in Cambridge which sells baked goods like bread, pastries and cookies. They began selling at the Charles to expand their sales. “I think it’s mainly markets that get our name out there into more parts of the community,” shared Olivia, a Hi-Rise salesperson at Sunday’s sale. “We are very close to this part of Harvard, but it’s kind of nice to move around a little and cover more bases.” The farmer’s market also allows the business to interact with the Cambridge community. “I definitely have good interactions,” Olivia said, joking: “Today, mainly it’s just been: ‘Are you staying warm?’”
Coy Brook Farm in Westbrook Field sells produce at the farmer’s market. “I’ve been selling here at this market for over 20 years,” exclaimed owner Roger Allen, “in this same spot.” When asked why he decided to sell at the market, like fellow businesses, Roger gestured to the area. “It’s a lot of work, [but] the location, mainly. It’s a great location to sell local produce.”
Anne Bunn and her partner Jill Forney started Urban Pharm in May of 2022, and just started selling at the Square’s market this season. Urban Pharm sells shrub at the Farmer’s Market, a raw apple cider vinegar infused with fruits, botanicals, and honey, used in salad vinaigrettes or even as a base for mocktails or cocktails. Bunn said selling at the Charles has come with countless positives, business and personal.
“In terms of the business, since we’re brand new it’s a way for us to teach people that, one, we even exist, that Urban Pharm exists, and two, what it is that we do. Shrub is not a totally mainstream product, so we’re teaching people about the product itself, too,” she said. “We as individuals are having a lot of fun meeting all of the different vendors. There’s a whole fun culture that happens in exchange, and we’re getting a lot of fun vegetables… and then meeting customers of course is really fun.”
Giselle Chiprez ’25 stumbled upon the open market on Church Street while her way out of the nearby T stop. “I saw the posters and said I’d go see for myself,” she explained, and ended up purchasing posters from shops
selling art. She thinks the markets add a sense of community to the Square. “You can just go out and see all the
little shops that are around that you might not see on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “You see not only people that
live in the Square or live in the area, but people who also come out to come to places like this, and so I think it’s
just nice to see everyone around, outside, and just hanging out.”
Zack Popiel ’25, Makena Gates ’25, Dylan Goodman ’25, and Ella Gilson ’25 also stumbled on the market after coming off the T. The artwork on sale caught Gibson’s eye: “I didn’t think I wanted anything in particular until I saw the paintings, and thought I definitely wanted one of them for my dorm, so I got one!” Goodman said that beyond creating a platform for small business purchases, markets create “a fun opportunity for students to take a break from their studying. I feel like this kind of shopping right now is very trendy, so it’s a cool atmosphere.”
Gabrielle Boyce from The G Spot Vintage Shop has been selling vintage clothes and her friends’ handmade jewelry at the market as long as it’s been going on. “It’s right down the street from where I live,” she explained. “And also, what better place than Harvard Square? It’s iconic, there’s so many great artists around here and great other independent shops, so it’s kind of just a great vibe all around.”
Boyce said the market has been a perfect setting to promote her brand: “I don’t own a storefront. I’m having a blast, making money, and the world is learning about G Spot.”
Taylor Browning ’26 came with a friend to scope out the market on Church Street. “It’s a great idea. At Harvard, there are a lot of people who would be interested in something like this, so to have it so close, I think it works for the businessowners and students, as well as livening up the square,” she expressed. “It’s a win-win-win.” Next week, Browning plans to come back to the market with a spending budget in mind, “as long as it’s not cold.”
Like the other sellers, Amanda Raynes of Nellie Baker Vintage thinks the market has helped boost her clothing business. “It’s good to meet people and have them see my stuff in person rather than just online.” Her shop was founded in 2017 and this is its first year of selling at the open market. “It seemed like a lively area with a lot of college students and people who are into buying secondhand and vintage clothing,” Raynes stated.
Layla Chaaraoui ’26 (laylachaaraoui@college.harvard.edu) has enjoyed her apple cider from Coy Brook Farm and is excited to wear her blue cowboy hat earrings from the G Spot Vintage Shop.