East End Food Institute Opens Winter Market

As cold weather sets in, people who crave fresh local produce and other food products still have a place to go, even as the farm stands they enjoy close up shop for the season.

The East End Food Institute opened its East End Food Market for its second winter season on Saturday in Riverhead. The indoor market, located at 139 Main Road, will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 29, 2023, closed only on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

There is plenty of reason to visit the market, even for those who may need to make the trek from towns farther east. More than 40 local vendors will set up shop at the indoor market on Saturdays, including farms, small food businesses, wineries, breweries and craft vendors. Throughout the winter, the market will host demonstrations and other events in partnership with other local nonprofits, such as cooking classes, seminars on sustainable living and waste reduction, and more. A calendar of events is available at riverheadmarket.org.

Admission to the market is always free, and many vendors accept Double Up Food Bucks, a program designed to help SNAP-enrolled customers stretch their dollars to purchase fresh, local produce, plants and seeds.

Among the partners featured at the market will be a renewed collaboration with East End Arts Council, which will curate featured artists to display their work at the market.

East End Food Institute Executive Director Kate Fullam was at the market on Saturday for the opening of the winter season, and will be there on Saturdays throughout the season to share information about future plans for an East End Food Hub at the site and to gather community input that will help guide the expansion project. Images of the planned campus are posted at the market and at eastendfood.org.