The Charlesgate Farmers Market closed its first year Oct. 20 with a Barktober puppy Halloween costume contest and a limited market under the Bowker Overpass. The Pup Party & Parade event, sponsored by local Pawsh Dog Boutique and Lina Kriva Homes, featured a costume contest and puppy-themed pop-ups at a limited-time farmers market on Commonwealth Avenue. 

The seasonal celebration, which opened in June, occurred alongside the Muddy River, a central urban waterway running from Jamaica Pond to the Charles River in the Emerald Necklace. The most polluted tributary in Boston, the river is now the site of an ongoing restoration project, a collaborative effort between advocacy and governmental organizations toward environmental rehabilitation of the area. 

The farmers market in Charlesgate Park is sponsored by the Muddy Water Initiative, or MWI, an advocacy collective partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation. Since June 23, the farmers market has featured local businesses, vendors and special events underneath the Massachusetts Turnpike. To Caroline Reeves, cofounder of the MWI and event organizer, the market’s success is vital to “activate the utility and beauty of” Charlesgate Park.

“For thirty years I’ve watched this be an abandoned, ugly space,” Reeves said. “But now, instead of the dust and dirt, I see people enjoying themselves, neighbors coming together — It’s exciting, what we’ve been able to do.” A longtime resident of Back Bay, Reeves emphasized the importance of community involvement in rehabilitating Boston’s polluted communal resources. 

Next to the gathering puppy parade, Reeves pointed out the locations of volunteer cleanups led by the MWI and students from the Boston area. Student- and neighbor-led volunteer cleanups have targeted the pollution buildup as a community effort to advance existing government investment in the area.

“There hasn’t been much development yet,” said Stephanie Cohen, a volunteer at Eastern Standard Kitchen’s Bakery stand. “For years we’ve been working on fundraising initiatives.” 

A Back Bay resident herself, Cohen said she thinks the market represents the essence of what the former parking lot can transform into. “It’s great the farmers market came in this summer so that people can get a flavor of what this can be,” Cohen said. 

Market manager Andrea Catania, a Boston University graduate who focuses on food justice and food systems reform, aimed to transform Charlesgate into a non-transactional community space. 

“Environmental sustainability is where it intersects with other forms of justice,” Catania said. 

The farmers market at Charlesgate promotes local businesses, accessible sustainable produce and the urban waterway restoration efforts of the Muddy Water Initiative. 

“Food, climate and economic justice spheres cannot be divorced from one another,” Catania said. 

This year’s success bodes well for vendors and the future of Charlesgate Park. Over 550 regulars attended the market each week, Reeves said. To small businesses, this exposure to Bostonian markets opens up new opportunities. 

“The challenges of being a small business are very difficult,” said Shawn Hannigan of Farmhouse Meats and Cheese. Farmers markets like Charlesgate connect locals to emerging independent businesses. 

Nancy Daniels of Madhrasi Chai said she finds the collective “beneficial.” She said that small, especially Asian and women-owned businesses do not “have an easy path,” but within the industry she finds support.

“Having all these people is wonderful,” Daniels said. “As a food industry we can all help each other.” 

While the final date for the 2024 season of Charlesgate market ended with the Barktober fest, organizers, neighbors and vendors already anticipate a new season this upcoming summer.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what next year could look like because of how much people look forward to it,” Catania said.