New England Readers: Your Help Is Needed
1. What is your favorite farmers' market in your state and why?
2. Are there any outstanding craft shows or art events that take place in your state?
Feel free to leave your responses in the comment section, or shoot me an email at christine.chitnis@gmail.com. I REALLY appreciate your help!!
Posts
Portland, ME - not sure about farmer's markets, though i'm sure if they have them they are awesome. there IS however, a craft fair that takes place called picnic with tons of local artists and live music and such. http://picnicportland.wordpress.com/
Centrak VT - My favorite farmers market is the Norwich Farmer's Market - they have everything from produce and cheese, baked goods, meats, yogurt, honey and maple syrup, to hand made jewelry, furniture, instruments, yarn, clothing...everything really. And it's all in a lovely setting, with live music. They also have a winter's market once a month, which is a favorite snowy day activity. I also love my local Bethel farmer's market, but it's just starting out and not quite as varied, but good. I'm fortunate that where I live I can hit a farmer's market almost any day of the week.
My favorite festival type thing would have to be the VT Sheep & Wool Festival in October. Or the Northeast Animal Powered Field Days, also in October, both are held at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds.
I hope you'll post the answers because I'd love hear about cool craft shows. Thanks!
Westford, MA--
I love Idylwilde Farms in Acton. You can buy fresh-squeezed orange juice there amongst all the other wonderful things.
http://www.idylwildefarm.com/
In Boston, the SoWa Open Market is popular. Independent craftspeople sell their wares in a sidewalk sale style. http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/
I also like Boston Bazaar Bizarre with 2 dates it runs.
http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/
Northampton MA - TWIST (http://www.twistfair.com)
is a fantastic must-see craft fair.
The Northampton farmer's market on Saturday mornings is also quite nice.
Not really a farmer's market per se but Bishop's Orchard in Guilford, CT is fantastic. They grow their own fruits and have pick your own as well. And there are llamas aka unicorns without horns. And to keep with the Guilford theme, I've always enjoyed the Guilford Craft Expo. http://www.guilfordartcenter.org/expo.html
Can you tell where I grew up?
I grew up in Wilmot Flat, NH (somewhere between Concord and Hanover along 89 N.) and by far the best -- although its far larger than your average fair -- is http://www.nhcrafts.org/craftsmens_fair/fair_home.html
The Sunapee NH Craftsmen Fair -- wide range of amazing crafts -- incredible artists!
Berwick, ME Every small town around here has amazing farmers market. The big one's are in Portsmouth,NH and York, ME. But you can find one going on every Wed or Sat around here. www.seacoasteatlocal.org As for great art/crafts shows Lindsay is right that show is wonderful. There is a little show in South Berwick, ME put on by local woman artist at Christmas and it is a favorite of many.
SW NH -- I have checked out most of the farmer's markets in the Monadnock region, and I have to say that Keene, NH has the best farmer's market for produce. However, Brattleboro, VT has a wider selection and much better atmosphere. It is set up like a miniature fair with a may pole and musicians in the center. They have produce, plants, soap, pottery, handmade bags and jewelry, massage chairs, and food vendors.
We go to both regularly.
Vermont: The Burlington Farmers Market is really great in the summer... Saturday morning and afternoon, City Hall Park gets packed with more than 50 vendors and crafters and it's fun to just wander, let alone shop :)
And I haven't been yet, but I'm very excited about the Queen City Craft Bazaar, which has really quirky "indie crafts"!
I live in Idaho now, but spent six years in the Boston area. Hands down my favorite farmers market is the Tuesday evening market in Newton. It operates the 1st Tuesday after the 4th of July through the end of October. Located at Cold Spring Park 1200 Beacon Street. Especially the mushroom lady. She is the best there is.
Waitsfield, VT- we have a great farmer's market- as do most of the surrounding towns. We have a craft fair labor day weekend, but have a festival of the arts in August that is great.
brimfield antique flea market in brimfield mass is
fantastic...you can spend the whole day finding treasures. be sure to bring a truck or a car as you will
fill it to the brim, hence the name...BRIM..field!
I'm in Bar Harbor, Maine. Weekly farmer's markets on Sundays in the YMCA parking lot and Wednesdays in the Reel Pizza parking lot. (I think they start up in late May and run through September.) There's a craft fair on the Village Green in July, and the Directions Craft Fair is a juried (or is it invitation only? not sure, sorry) show/sale. The Chamber of Commerce can give details on this year's schedule.
Oh, and the Common Ground Fair is in September, and although it has livestock and green-living areas it also has a sizable and very high-quality craft portion. It's especially good for fiber arts, as lots of spinners, knitters and weavers go. Great place to find wool that is hand-carded, hand-spun, and hand-dyed in natural materials.
My god I sound like the Chamber of Commerce!
i'm out but if you head up to ottawa, ontario, it is the carp farmers market.
In CT, the Coventry Farmer's Market has an amazing group of exhibitors. Everything from veggie to eggs to meat to clothing to soap to European pastries. It runs from June to October. http://coventryfarmersmarket.com/
The Fine Arts and Craft Festival at the Roseland Cottage in Woodstock is full of talented people and a variety of genres. It's juried so the quality is nice too. It is in early October. Plus the cottage and gardens are lovely.
http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/roseland.htm
I currently live in Lowell, MA and grew up in NE CT.
Lowell area favorites:
Western Avenue Studios Open Studios - http://www.westernavenuestudios.com/
Winchester Farmers Market - http://www.winchesterfarmersmarket.org/
CT favorites:
Coventry Farmers Market - http://coventryfarmersmarket.com/
Roseland Cottage Craft Fair, Woodstock, CT
City Seed Farmers' Market in New Haven, CT.
http://cityseed.org/
Amazing organization and market.
Coventry and Durham have great markets too.
Columbia, CT
1) Best Farmer's Marekt is Coventry CT.
2) Farmington Antiques & Design Weekend - held every year at the Farmington, CT Polo Grounds.