SEA BRIGHT — New and exciting things are in store for customers of the Sea Bright Farmers Market, which is returning for a second year.
Opening day is set for May 7. The market is held 2-7 p.m. every Thursday through September in the municipal parking lot on Ocean Avenue in downtown Sea Bright.
“We’re starting earlier than other surrounding farmers markets,” said Marianne Mackenzie Morse, a member of the Sustainable Sea Bright Committee.
Hosting small family farms from throughout the region, the market will again offer a bounty of locally grown fruit and produce, freshly baked breads and pastries, homemade jams and jellies, raw honey, locally roasted coffee, and sweet and sour pickles.
New additions to the market this year include meats from pasture-raised animals and poultry from Green Duchess Farm in Franklin Township; farm fresh cheeses, yogurt and eggs from Central Valley Farm; Asian greens and fresh cut herbs from Holly Hill Farm in Hunterdon County; and organic produce from Harvest Moon Farm in North Salem, New York.
The market will also feature special events, and guest chefs will offer tasty samples showcasing Jersey-grown fruits and vegetables.
For the season kickoff, the market will have a “Pretty in Pink” theme for the month of May based on Meridian Health’s “Paint the Town Pink” communitywide effort to raise awareness of the importance of annual mammography screening.
Volunteers will be on-site all month to share information about the initiative and distribute tickets for a market-filled basket that will be raffled on May 28.
On that same date, the market will feature Rachel Weston, a gourmet foods columnist, seasonal produce fan and local chef. She will offer samples of a rhubarb, rose petal and pink peppercorn spritzer. Weston will also share ideas on how to cook using rhubarb and offer tips on growing edible flowers.
On May 21, the market will hold a Sea Bright Business Day when members of the business community in the borough can promote their businesses at the market, Mackenzie Morse said.
“We’re very excited about the vendors,” she said. “Cheese is new this year.”
Another event that will return this year will be “Touch-a-Truck,” which Mackenzie Morse said was popular with children. The fire departments will showcase vehicles.
Also, leading up to Mother’s Day, the market will offer packages of jams and soaps for purchase.
Councilman Marc Leckstein, who is council liaison for the Sustainable Sea Bright Committee, said the committee is focused on creating year-round activities with hopes of putting the borough on the map of places to go.
He said there is an arts society initiative, and the borough hosted the first Sea Bright Kite Day on April 25.
The Sea Bright Farmers Market is sponsored by the Sea Bright Borough Council and its Sustainable Sea Bright Committee. For its second season, the market will continue to be run by Community Green Market Organizers (CGMO), which helps municipalities set up farmers markets to support local artisans, connect shoppers directly with growers, and encourage social gatherings and community building.
The market was proposed by CGMO for Sea Bright, in part to revitalize a community and business district devastated by superstorm Sandy.
Pamela Caputo of Community Green Market Organizers said she and Elizabeth Murno, when looking to set up a farmers market, believed Sea Bright was the natural choice.
“Not only was [the borough] devastated by Sandy, the community has demonstrated recovery and resilience,” she said. “Last year, people had a place and time to come together to talk to each other about something other than recovery.”
For more information visit www.facebook.com/SeaBrightFarmersMarket or follow @SB_ FarmMarket on Twitter for a complete list of weekly vendors and special events.