Holiday Farmers Market returns to Twin Forks Beer

In light of the construction delays at the new East End Food Hub, the Holiday Farmers Market returns to Twin Forks Beer Company on Saturdays from Nov. 2 to Dec. 28. Visitors can expect cold beer, hot food, handmade items and live music from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This market, while independent from East End Food, is made up of vendors and partners associated with the organization.

“Presently we are still waiting on the installation of the water main for East End Food to begin our transition to the Hub in Riverhead. As you may remember, this has been an ongoing issue, and we are now hoping to have the work completed in the next couple of weeks. After the completion of the water main, we will still have additional interior construction [to do], and we have realized [holding] the Winter Farmers Market [there] would be unlikely. To this end, Rachel Stephens of Sweet Woodland Farms and [Brothers Pete and Dan Chekijian of] Twin Forks Beer Company are coordinating the Market,” said Marci Moreau, executive director of East End Food, in a statement.

This is the second year that the market will be hosted at the brewery. Having the market off-site will allow East End Food to focus on funding and approvals in order to finish their building. “I just took the initiative and reached out to Pete and Dan, and asked them if we could still use their building this year for November and December. They told us that we’re welcome to continue there. It’s a great relationship. People will enjoy sampling their craft brew while shopping. They have a tasting room, and there will be live music,” said Ms. Stevens.

The vendors count on the market to sell their products, as most of them do not have a storefront. The market increases the visibility of their offerings both locally and island-wide. “We’re going to have between 30 and 35 vendors, and they need a place to sell their products. Most of them don’t have a brick and mortar. Real estate is very expensive, so to be able to use a space at an affordable rate, it works out really well, and then everybody can do their shopping all in one place,” said Ms. Stevens.

Nicole Petty, owner of the microgreens producer Urban Coyote Farm, has been helping out getting the market set-up. Twin Forks has been an ideal partner for the market, Ms. Petty said. “The space is really nice for a market; there’s a really inviting bar, and they usually have a musician, and then there’s this big, open room where they do their brewing. There’s a lot of square footage in the center of the room that we can pack a lot of vendors into,” said Ms. Petty. 

Ms. Petty said there will be something for everyone, creating a one-stop shopping experience. “When you walk in on opening day, you’ll find mushrooms — you’ll find local jerky, local pickles, local wine, an assortment of different types of local produce and preserves, and all sorts of amazing things. We’ve got someone doing handcrafted knives. The idea is that you can come stock up on groceries for the week and you can also grab some gifts for the holiday season.”