Business

Outdoor farmers market won’t return to Riverhead next summer

The Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association is planning to eliminate the downtown outdoor farmers market next summer.

The BIDMA made the decision during its meeting Wednesday after discussing next year’s budget.

“We’re not going to have a summer farmers market anymore,” BIDMA president Ray Pickersgill said. “It doesn’t work.”

The indoor winter farmers market the BIDMA has held for the past two years was more successful since there aren’t many winter farmers markets on the East End, he said.

In contrast, the outdoor venue has had more competition from other summer farmers markets and farm stands, Mr. Pickersgill said.

Mr. Pickersgill also said he hopes the winter farmers market will return to the former Swezey’s furniture store building. That building is owned by Riverhead Enterprise and has been vacant since the farmers market left.

This year, the winter farmers market moved to the former McCabe’s/Dinosaur Walk Museum site, which wasn’t as centralized a location and wasn’t as successful, Mr. Pickersgill said.

The former Red Collection building may also be considered if the old Swezey’s furniture store site is not available, he added.

In addition to eliminating the outdoor farmers market, the BIDMA has decided it won’t host an antique show next year since it wasn’t happy with the quality of some of the items on display during this year’s event, Mr. Pickersgill said.

The BIDMA will also be scaling back the Thursday Classic Car “Cruise Night” shows next summer, he said.

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