The East End Food Market in Riverhead is set to kick off its second winter season on Small Business Saturday Nov. 26.
The 5,000 square-foot market will host over 40 vendors this year, offering North Forkers continued access to a variety of fresh produce, meats, and other local products as farm stands wind down in the off-season.
“We have a great variety this year,” said Kate Fullam, Executive Director of the East End Food Institute. “We’re really excited to see more farms participating.”
Around 8 a.m., before the market opens, it will be blessed by a member of the Shinnecock Nation to acknowledge the indigenous nation’s “historic involvement and ownership of the land,” explained Fullam.
Visitors can expect to find long standing participants like Sang Lee Farms and Peconic River Herb Farm at the market, as well as new vendors like Latham Farms, Jamesport Farmstead, Sylvester Manor and Pendleton’s Harvest Moon Farm.
The market will also be continuing the Double Up Food Bucks program, an initiative launched last year to give SNAP customers more buying power and incentivize healthy purchases. SNAP customers can get up to $20 of select purchases matched, which means they can have up to $40 to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables.
In addition to food vendors, the market will host several local artists and craft vendors. Customers can grab a coffee from North Fork Roasting Co. or Jamesport Sourdough & Coffee Co. and peruse through a wide selection of self-care products, house plants, accessories, dog treats, and more.
“We’re looking forward to activating the space in a number of different ways this coming season,” added Fullam, who has been planning different theme nights, pop-ups, and workshops for the market. Over the summer, she experimented with programming, offering events date nights, food photography workshops, and cooking classes. “We’ve had a little bit more time and bandwidth to organize different programs now leading into this second winter season.”
The East End Food Market is located at 139 Main Road, Riverhead NY 11901. The winter market will run Saturdays from Nov. 26 through April 29, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For a full list of vendors and more information on the market, visit eastendfood.org.
