First Greenmarket Opens In Downtown Summit Thursday

Summit’s first-ever Greenmarket will open to the community Thursday on Beechwood Road.

Mayor Ellen Dickson and Summit Downtown, Inc. Chairman Kevin Smallwood will take part in the ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. at the corner of Beechwood Road and Springfield Avenue. The market will be open every Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. through Sept. 12.

“It’s different from the standpoint that we’re trying to get several of those purveyors who are different from the Sunday [Farmers] Market,” said Marin Mixon, Executive Director of Summit Downtown, Inc., which is sponsoring the market. “We’re really trying to appeal to people who might be coming out of their offices on Thursdays evenings and don’t have an opportunity to come back to the market on Sunday so they can stop by and pick up some goodies before they go home.”

The Greenmarket, which was originally set to open on June 27 but was postponed due to thunderstorms, will feature 13 farmers and purveyors from around the state. 

“We’re having a bakery in New Jersey that makes their own bread and gets grain from different places within the state. There is a farmer and her husband who own their own flowers. That’s called Little Big Farm,” Mixon told Patch. “We’re going to have a fish man who catches all of his fish in New Jersey waters. There is a young man who started a new business and he’s making homemade pastas from scratch. He was born in Italy and has recipes from his Italian grandmother.”

Mixon said this market is meant to coincide with the Summit Department of Community Programs “Screen On The Green,” which officially begins next Thursday, July 18 at 8 p.m. with a dance party and the movie Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium at dusk.

“We’re working with [the Department of Community Programs] to see if we can come up with some synergies about the 'Screen On The Green' and our market,” Mixon said. “Those movies don’t start until dusk so it’s kind of perfect if someone wants to come in, shop, get a bite to eat and then go over to the movie.”

Here are the participating farmers and purveyors, according to the Summit Downtown, Inc. website:

Baker's Bounty
Brownie Points Bakery
Griggstown Quail Farm
Little Big Farm 
Maxwell's Farm
Mosefund Farm
Nicola's Past Fresca
PickleLicious
Phillips Farms
Race Farm
Shore Catch
WoodsEdge Wools Farm
Z Food Farm