Arlington Park Farmer's Market

Arlington Park in the Bergen Lafayette section of Jersey City got its first Farmers Market this year! Organized through Friends of Arlington Park, the market opened two weeks ago and will run every Saturday through November 21st, from 9am-2pm

I went to go check it out on opening day and immediately loved it. The park is green and beautiful with some small playground areas and shaded benches, and the market takes place in an open area surrounding a gazebo. It's peaceful, quiet, and has enough space to spread out and enjoy your time outdoors.

There were four vendors there: two farms, Andy's Market, and Sweets 4 Miles, a local bakery on Ocean Ave. One of the farms was Nature's Own who can also be found at the Riverview Farmers Market, carrying seasonal produce that they're happy to offer suggestions on, farm-fresh eggs, meat, and farm-made pantry items like jams and sauces.

The other farm was RH Farms and they had some of the best looking peaches and berries I've seen at any of the markets throughout the city. They had a pretty wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables which was quickly depleted, all for very reasonable prices.

Local catering company Andy's was at the market, selling ready-made, picnic-style meals and a very refreshing peach lemonade perfect for a hot day. They'll be there every week, selling their comfort-style food to take home or enjoy while you wander through the market and park.

Sweets 4 Miles, whose inspiring story was recently featured in The Jersey Journal, was also there offering up all kinds of desserts from cookies to mini-pies to cupcake jars. I picked up one of the red velvet jars to take home and was so glad I did. It was the perfect size for a few good bites; sweet, but not excessively sugary frosting, with a dense but tender crumb, this was a nice change from too many dry and over the top cupcakes. I look forward to trying a lot more, they had quite a variety on offer. They're also very willing to customize flavors and bring special items if you have something specific in mind.

Since the first Saturday, a couple of other vendors have joined in the market and it seems like it will continue to grow over the next couple of weeks. It's small but well-stocked with varied vendors, making it a great neighborhood stop, perfect for picking up ingredients for your week ahead or if you're out to explore the area, I'd absolutely recommend stopping by to check it out.