The new year is off to a fun-filled start in Riverhead! After taking a break for Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, East End Food Institute’s East End Food Market opens its doors at 139 Main Road in Riverhead for 2023 on Saturday, January 7 at 9am.
With over 40 weekly vendors, this market is the largest indoor farmers market on the East End, offering a wide variety of local produce, seafood, prepared goods, baked goods, handcrafts, food trucks, and more. On January 7, special guest vendors will be popping up at the Market, including: Riverhead’s own Übergeek Brewing beers; Sid’s Country hand-crafted conserves, jams and sauces; Catskill Provisions distinctive, artisanal spirits and staples, including maple syrup; the Turmeric Store for your supplement needs; and Gluten Free Groove’s delish sweet treats.
The Market’s featured nonprofit organization will be the Peconic Land Trust. The Trust has been conserving Long Island farmland and natural lands for over 40 years. Learn more from the staff at their info table.
Open every Saturday through April 29, 2023, 9am-1pm, this market is slated to undergo major upgrades later in the year, as part of a multi-million dollar project to create a regional food hub, East End Food Hub, on the site. The expansion project calls for renovation of this building to create a community kitchen alongside the retail farmers market. Future phases of the site development will include a new building with a multipurpose space to accommodate expansion of the farmers market and educational programs. Another building will be a farm-to-freezer operation to capture more local produce for processing and distribution.
Founded in 2010, it is the mission of EEFI to support, promote, and advocate for the farmers, vintners, fishermen, and other food producers and providers on the East End of Long Island. Find more information and opportunities to donate, and to volunteer, at eastendfood.org.
