The new indoor-version of the Greenport Farmers Market kicked off last Friday, Nov. 7 in Little Creek Oyster’s annex space at 216 Main St. (next to Pip’s Café). The market will run every Friday through November and December from noon until 3 p.m.
The market is the first public event to be held in the annex, which is the home of Little Creek’s Hold Fast Fund, a nonprofit gearing up to assist local small businesses.
“One of the ideas from the beginning was that maybe this can be a pop-up market, or a series — a First Friday type of thing,” says Ian Wile, co-owner of Little Creek and co-founder of the Hold Fast Fund.
The market’s first day showcased seven vendors: Consider Bardwell Farm, Deep Dive Farm, Fields of Dough, Golden Acres Organic Farm, North Fork Fresh Eggs, Soul Creations, and Treiber Farms.
“The summer seasonal market in Mitchell Park that’s been running two years … that finishes in late September,” says Greenport Farmers Market manager Paul Livesey. “Ian and I were talking, and he mentioned this place and whether it would work for a market for the winter months. So, it really went from there.”
The first day of the market was busy, with a steady stream of customers passing through the space for most of the afternoon. “[One of the vendors] sold out and left early,” says Livesey. “I think we can fit two or three more if we can find the right vendors to complement what we’ve got. Everybody seems to be pleased with sales.”
Livesey is optimistic about the fall/winter iteration of the market. “This place is amazing,” he says. “I’m very grateful to Ian and Rosalie [Rung, Wile’s wife and co-owner]; this is such a good space.” The market will run through Christmas, when Livesey and Wile will reassess to see whether vendors will want to continue through the new year.
The Hold Fast Fund’s focus, according to Wile, is “local sustainable entrepreneurship, whether that’s through scholarships, or mentorship, or, in a perfect world, microgrants and support.”
Raise Shell 2025 will be held in the space on Dec. 6 and 7, temporarily replacing Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Shellebration fundraiser, which was cancelled this year. The two-day Village-wide oyster festival will boast an oyster hall, chef specials at local restaurants with small tastes under $10, holiday shopping, art and live music. Tickets are $75 and are only required for access to the all-you-can-eat oyster hall and selected specials around town.
The Hold Fast annex will also be a stop on this year’s Greenport Holiday Stroll, which takes place on Friday, Dec. 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. A maker’s market is currently being planned by Wile and local artist Kara Hoblin, founder of the North Fork Art Collective.
Until then, put Friday afternoons in Greenport on your one-stop shopping list. For more information, click here.
