How do I make music at the market?

Music at the Woodstock Farmers Market

We get a lot of questions about music at the Woodstock Farmers Market: How do I play at the market? Are you looking for musicians? Can I sign up for a date?

We love that so many talented musicians want to be part of the market, and we’re always excited to hear from people making music in our community.

For the time being, though, our music schedule is full. Our musicians for the remainder of the 2026 season and into early 2027 are currently booked, so we are not accepting new musician applications right now.

A Special Note for Young Musicians

While our regular market music schedule is built around recurring performers, we also love making room for special pop-up performances, particularly for youth music and theater programs. If you’re the director of a youth musical, choir, band, or other young performers who would like to share a 15–20 minute program during the regularly scheduled market music, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us through our website’s contact page. We’re always happy to make a little room in the market for kids to get some real-world performance experience and show off what they do best.

So, how do we choose our musicians?

When we are looking to add new musicians, we start right here in Woodstock.

We love featuring musicians who live in our community, make music here, shop the market, have played other markets, or are already part of the local scene. We also look for musicians who understand the market and the kind of atmosphere we’re trying to create: welcoming, family-friendly, diverse, and a great place to spend a Saturday or Tuesday morning.

And, honestly, we look for a little grit.

The Woodstock Farmers Market is an outdoor market for most of the year, so our music program is an outdoor music program. Our musicians play through heat, wind, cold, and the occasional sprinkle. We don’t pack it in every time the weather gets a little uncomfortable. Unless we’re dealing with dangerous lightning or truly torrential conditions, the music goes on.

That means our musicians need to be comfortable with a little unpredictability and willing to roll with whatever the weather brings. Sometimes you’re playing in perfect sunshine. Sometimes you’re playing with your hair blowing across your face while a little rain falls. That’s part of the deal.

A little more about our music program

Playing at the Woodstock Farmers Market is generally a three- to four-hour commitment. Because we want our musicians to have the opportunity to develop an audience at the market, we rarely book someone for a single date.

We prefer working with musicians who have availability throughout the season, particularly on both Tuesdays and Saturdays. That consistency allows market shoppers to get to know the musicians performing, and it gives the musicians a chance to become part of the market community.

When we are looking beyond our local community, we will open an application on our website. That is the best way to make sure we hear from musicians who are interested when opportunities become available.

We think the music is an important part of what makes the Woodstock Farmers Market feel like more than just a place to shop. It adds energy to the Square, gives shoppers something to linger for, and creates another way for our community to connect.

So, if you’re a musician hoping to play at the market, keep making music, keep an eye on our website, and stay connected to what’s happening in the Woodstock music community.

When we’re ready to hear from new musicians, we’ll let you know. And when we do, bring your instrument, your availability, and a little grit.