Every Saturday morning, Washington Road comes alive as shoppers browse fresh foods, handmade goods and local products while enjoying live music at the Mount Lebanon Partnership’s Uptown Market.

The weekly market, held from 9 a.m. to noon from late May through Oct. 24, has become a Saturday tradition, connecting local vendors with residents and visitors while supporting small businesses. This year’s season extends later into October in response to strong community support.

“We get a ton of return customers here,” said focaccia baker Ben Carozza. “It’s been great. People come here just for me sometimes.”

Carozza, who began baking as a child, refined his recipes during the COVID-19 pandemic before turning his passion into a business. He has been a vendor at the Uptown Market since 2025 and credits the market’s organizers for creating a welcoming environment.

“The people who run it are hands-on enough, but they don’t micromanage,” Carozza said. “I’ve heard that can be a problem at other markets, but they’ve been very accommodating and welcoming.”

The Uptown Market is organized by the Mount Lebanon Partnership, a nonprofit that works with the municipality to promote economic development and support local businesses through community events and initiatives.

Partnership representatives Dorene Ciletti and Betsy Benson staff an information booth each week, often offering family-friendly activities and sharing information about the organization’s work.

“It’s been great to hear from the community,” Ciletti said. “Overall, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People enjoy coming out on a Saturday morning and discovering great local vendors.”

Among the returning vendors is Coyne Family Farms, which brings farm-raised beef, pork and chicken from Burgettstown to the market each week.

“Every other market we’ve been to hasn’t been this busy,” said Mason Allison, who works for the family farm. “It’s clean, it’s nice, it’s fun. I like the people.”

Another longtime favorite is Uncle Jammy’s, where Jamal Etienne-Harrigan sells homemade sauces and spice blends he has been perfecting for more than two decades. He said the market’s variety keeps customers coming back.

“The people are always fun,” Etienne-Harrigan said. “You’re going to meet people in different stages of business, and you’re going to discover new products and new takes on everything.”

The market has also helped launch successful local businesses. Anthos Bakery and Cafe and Panaderia Jazmin both began selling their products at the Uptown Market before opening permanent storefronts.

For Benson, those success stories reflect the market’s larger mission.

“The overall goal is building the vibrancy of the town so it’s a destination not just on Saturdays, but all the time,” she said.

The Uptown Market is held Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, May 30 through Oct. 24, across from Washington Elementary School on Washington Road.

For more information or to become a vendor, visit the Mount Lebanon Partnership’s website.