Happy 15th Birthday to us!

Fifteen years ago, I was sitting at the market tent at the Irvington Farmers Market, which I also run, and Chappaqua residents Will Wedge and Priscilla Sorensen approached me with intent. “We want to open a farmers market in Chappaqua”, they said. “Would you be interested in running it?” Of course, I was, but I imagined they wanted to start a market in the spring of the following year.

But, no, they were very keen on getting a market up and running by December.T his December? I gulped. But they were determined...and they had a location–inside the Church of St. Mary. So we went for it. They also had  graphic designer Anne Hasagawa, who used her keen sense of design to come up with a visual personality, and logo, for the market. And so we went for it.

Because there were so few winter markets operating at the time, we were able to bring in some star vendors like the legendary Nancy Macnamara, of the late Honey Locust Farmhouse, whose parents had been founding (berry) farmers at the Union Square Greenmarket. At the time, Nancy was growing customized greens for star chefs like Jean Georges Vongerichten. She also made elderberry elixirs, nettle teas and other products that were tough to find in the leafy suburbs of Westchester back in 2010. She set up her funky mobile tea cart in the front of the church, greeting customers in her signature beret, with an offer of raspberry tea made with raspberries from her father’s farm I remember thinking it was a very good omen indeed to have such a market grande dame at our front door in our first season. And indeed, it was.

The market has flourished in so many ways. After trying out several locations (one due to Covid restrictions) we have found our sweet spot at the train station circle. Markets should be all about creating community and nothing does that like a semi-circle, a physical “hug”. Our shopper profile has changed with the times. We're seeing many more strollers in the circle than we did in years past. The number of dogs has also risen. We will always be a dog-loving market. 

Over the years we have seen beloved vendors come and go. We will never forget Joe Tomato,  our beloved mozzarella maker who spoke little English but whose twinkly eyes and kindness touched so many at the market. Nor will we forget Danae Sintilas of Mediterranean Delights. She always ran at least an hour late because she was cooking until the very last minute. But her devoted fans knew it, so they planned their shop accordingly, and, better yet, they all lined up to help her unload her car and help her set up her tent and empty her car. 

Incidentally, both Joe and Danae have been invited to our big celebration on Saturday and have said they will pop by to say hello to old friends. And what a shindig this is going to be! Portrait artist Liv Snow will be back on the plaza, sketching portraits of shoppers. And “prompt” poet, Julia Gardner, will be here with her manual typewriter for the first time, dashing off poems on the fly, based on your prompts for a suggested donation of $10. (poems make great gifts).

In terms of activities, we will be offering a knife-skill class, courtesy of Zwilllig at 12 noon. And, for kids, we will have a messy art table and a magic show, both courtesy of the inimitable Sari Shaw of The Westchester Living Team at COMPASS.

Whether you come to the market weekly or only occasionally, we hope you will all join us on Saturday to celebrate. Our house band, Milton, will be performing and The Dough Nation Pizza Truck will be there as will Chef David Di Bari, who will draw the winning ticket of our raffle. The lucky winner will get to have local chef/caterer and longtime CFM board member, Nancy Silver, come to their home to create a farm to table dinner party for 6. You can get more information here. All proceeds will go toward The Pantry (formerly known as the Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry).

You can check out a complete roster of the day's activities here.

We would like to thank our board members and fabulous interns and market managers over the years who’ve all contributed to our success. And, of course, our market sponsors who've helped us along the way. Finally, a huge thanks to our loyal and passionate farmers and food artisans who’ve been undeterred by the crazy climate of the last few years,  and of course, you, our dedicated shoppers, who make us want to create market magic every Saturday. Here’s to another 15 years!

See you at the market!