Thanksgiving Farmers Market debuts

Although the morning began with a cloudy outlook and a brisk fall breeze, customers turned out in great numbers to welcome the Lakeside Farmers Market Thanksgiving debut on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. The debut was just a week before Thanksgiving Day when communities across the United States commemorate the early American harvest celebrations shared between European settlers and Indigenous peoples whose agricultural knowledge and generosity made the settlers’ survival possible.

Today, the holiday blends a universal gratitude with family traditions surrounding a feast of native ingredients usually involving turkey (or ham, beef, or pork), sweet potatoes, root vegetables, cranberries, and a wide range of side dishes.

“When the temperature drops, the green vegetables have a way of protecting themselves by generating more sugars, which creates a unique and delicious sweetness among the spinach, bok choi, kale, and other leafy greens,” said Jeff Bialis, of J&A Farms. “ Serving them sautéed with butter and garlic for a very simple and memorable recipe will make your guests remember your culinary skills.”

The day also welcomed newcomer, Greenwood Ceramics, to the market. Amy Wortman and Troy Enright were looking for a place to set up their own studio. While their fantasy is to have a storefront pottery studio that would let customers talk to the owners, the farmers market gave them an opportunity to enjoy greater visibility and engage directly with customers who were looking for some of their beautiful, homemade ceramic bowls, dishes, and vases.

“We had been looking to collaborate with other pottery in the area who may wish to share a space with us because some of the available spaces have a long wait list to get in,” Wortman said. “But we were regular visitors to Greenwood Lake’s market right here in our village, so we thought we would give it a try!”

The Thanksgiving holiday also brought out the market’s usual vendors, including Shannon’s Eyes on the Pies, complete with her hearty chili; Locust Grove Fruit Farm and their delicious fresh squeezed apple cider; Lunch Lady Amy Goff, with her large menu off prepared foods; Megan’s sour dough bread-making artistry at Flower and Dough; Hillery Farms free-range poultry products; Savvy Sisters’ Deb Searle was there with her homemade array of scented soaps and incense; The Greenwood Lake Lions Club was accepting all kinds of plastic packaging materials which would be recycled into park benches that will be gradually appearing throughout the village; The Hudson Valley Pantry offered a timely complement to any meal with its homemade relishes and other pantry delicacies; and even the local Boy Scout Troop was there featuring a new line of flavored meat sticks and seasonings.

“Our local farmers market continues to strengthen the community in multiple ways. It provides residents with fresh, locally grown produce and artisan goods, often harvested or made just hours before sale, which supports healthier eating and sustainable living,” said Mayor Tom Howley about the 2025 season. “The market also keep money circulating within the community by giving small farms and local producers a dependable place to sell their products directly to customers.”

Beyond commerce, a farmers market becomes a place where neighbors meet, families explore, and local musicians, nonprofits, and small businesses can participate. It fosters a sense of place, enhances the local economy, reduces environmental impacts from long-distance food transport, and preserves regional farming traditions. In many ways, a farmers market feeds not just the body, but the social and economic health of the entire community.

For more about Greenwood Lake’s community and its Holiday Festival that begins on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, log onto GWLNY.org.