Kings Park Farmers Market Opens Successfully For a Fifth Season
Kings Park, NY- June 8, 2015 -The Kings Park Farmers Market opened Sunday, June 7th, to a beautiful day and a crowd of enthusiastic residents. In its 5th year at the municipal lot on Main Street, the market has woven itself into the fabric of the Kings Park community.
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Alyson Elish- Swartz of the Kings Park Civic Association and Deborah Staiano of LI Greenmarket present a $300 donation to representatives of the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry.The market is sponsored by the Kings Park Civic Association (KPCA) and run by LI Greenmarket. Every Sunday during the market’s season, the community is not only able to avail itself to fresh locally grown vegetables, greens and fruit, but also Long Island corn, eggs, heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, squash, onions, cheese, pasta, pickles, soaps, local fish, baked goods, gluten free cookies, soy candles, jams and more.
The market along with providing these wonderful products, has made its stamp on the community in so many other ways. The KPCA and LI Greenmarket have not only donated thousands of pounds of food to the St. Joseph food pantry, they have also donated well over $1,000.
The farmer’s market has been host to many events such as a school supply drive and coat drive for underprivileged children, a book collection for our soldiers overseas, an annual Fall Festival, baking contests and a variety of charitable fundraisers, including raising money for cancer research, Hula Hoops for Hope, Hurricane Sandy victims and our own VFW.
Through raffles, the Kings Park Civic Association is able to provide a scholarship each year to a graduating Kings Park High School senior.
The market boasts a KPCA sponsored community table wherein community organizations can meet, fundraise and educate the community about their groups. Some of these organizations include the Council of Schools, KP in the Know, Kings Park Youth, Nissequogue River State Park Foundation, the Kings Park Fire Department, the Kings Park Photography Club, the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce, local Girl Scouts and the Town of Smithtown’s Green Homes program.
The market highlights local businesses, such as Abrakadoodle, Cafe Red and Sombreros, through various activities and cooking demonstrations. The Kings Park business community has enthusiastically supported the market during these past five years. From supplying food vouchers and coupons to those who donate food for the food pantry, like Fort Salonga IGA and Café Red have done, to displaying the Kings Park Farmer’s Market poster in their store windows, local businesses have embraced the market.
In turn, the Kings Park Farmers Market bolsters the local economy by bringing people into Kings Park, who then shop at other businesses in town.
Most of all, the market promotes a sense of community. Patrons know the farmers by name, such as Teddy from Thera Farms, Michelle and David from Fink Farms, and Paul from Paul’s Fish. In turn, regulars are greeted by name and new shoppers welcomed with big smiles.
The Kings Park Farmers Market is held at the municipal lot on Main Street (across from the Kings Park Fire Department) on Sundays from June through November 22nd from 9 AM to 2 PM.