WORCESTER – A Massachusetts Urban Agenda Grant Program awareded the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) with a $100,000 grant to expand the annual Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers Market series in 2025.
According to the BID, the grant will allow it to expand the festival to 10 dates in Summer 2025. It will also help the BID attract more vendors, fresh local produce, and arts programming to the Worcester Common.
The Out to Lunch Festival farmers market component will expand to support regional farmers, including those otherwise unable to offer SNAP payment processing.
Partners in the festival include the City of Worcester, Mass Farmers Markets, and the Worcester Regional Food Hub. The festival seeks to create a robust platform for local, healthy food access in the heart of Worcester.
The BID says it will use the grant funds to expand market staffing, a larger production and talent budget, an extensive marketing campaign, and vital infrastructure enhancements, including new equipment to process SNAP-EBT benefits.
The City of Worceseter first launched the Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers Market in 2009. The BID now operates the event series.
