The Castro Farmers’ Market will kick off a new season this afternoon.

The market dates back to 2008 and is held in the block of Noe Street between Market, 16th and Beaver streets from 4-8pm every Wednesday. The market runs from mid-March through November and is managed by the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association, a nonprofit that oversees eight markets in San Francisco and more than 60 in the larger Bay Area.

The First Lady of The Castro, Donna Sachet, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5pm in honor of today’s grand opening, and Mama Mia D’Bruzzi will provide live music.

Lynette Miscione, the market’s manager, told us that this year’s farmers’ market will feature many of the same 20 odd vendors as it did last year. However, “We did lose our mushroom vendor,” she said.

When asked about what seasonal produce neighbors can get excited about, Miscione said, “Asparagus and berries, and we’ll be having apricots and cherries soon.”

Because of the extraordinary amounts of rain that California has been drenched with over the past few months, Miscione noted that consumers can expect to see this year’s wet weather reflected in the market's produce selection.

“Strawberries have been affected, and there have been a lot less of them because of the rain,” Miscione warned. “But overall, water costs farmers a lot of money, so the rain’s been good.”