KimmChi » Markets of New York

Market Events and Highlights This Weekend

Looking for the perfect thing to do on a cool fall weekend? Visiting New York and want to see something really special? In addition to the amazing weekend markets, including the Brooklyn Flea, the Brooklyn Indie Market, the Hell’s Kitchen Flea, all the Greenmarkets and so many more, I highly recommend these events for shoppers, foodies, and explorers alike!

Saturday, October 16:

Crafts in Chelsea: The {NewNew} Artisan Group is taking over the bucolic block of 21st Street between 8^th & 9^th Avenues in Chelsea to bring their beautiful, innovative, and incredibly diverse designs to the street. Not to be missed! Saturday, 9AM – 5PM.

Grub Street Food Festival at the Hester Street Fair: Normally, Grub Street is virtual wonderland of food, leaving you drooling on your keyboard. But this weekend, Grub Street comes out in 3D!! Maybe even 4D, based on the amazing lineup of delicious local food purveyors. Sponsored by Grub Street, Hester Street, and New York Magazine. Foodies – get there early! 10AM – 6PM

Special Grub Shout Out: Brooklyn’s own Anton Nocito, also known as P&H Soda & Syrup, is raising $18,000 IndieGoGo.com in one month to launch his soda and syrups business in a big way. P&H sodas are made from local ingredients where possible, as well as organic or fair trade fruits, sugar and spices. Even Mayor Bloomberg would approve! Please click through and make a contribution to his project! Meet Anton at the festival and be a part of this awesome fizz!

Madison Square Market: This market is so lovely, with a wonderful variety of fine handmade designs and some of the best food in town, including great stuff for kids! And this Saturday is the Madison Square Park Kids Fall Festival! It’s a perfect family day in the park! The Madison Square Market runs daily 11AM – 8PM through 10/23.

Sunday, October 17:

Pickle Day: Sunday is the 10^th Annual NYC International Pickle Day! Held on Broome St. at Essex in the Lower East Side, it feature some of the greatest pickle, kimmchi, cheese, and other food vendors from all of the markets around the city – and a whole lot more! I recently had Ronnie Sue’s Dark Chocolates Pickle Bonbon. Seriously. If you love pickles, you will LOVE that bonbon.

The New Amsterdam Market: I am so happy that the market has become a weekly event. In addition to all the bounty from the fall harvest, Good Food Jobs is going to be at the market.

If you have a great event not listed, post it here as a comment!

See you at the markets!

Markets Events & Announcements!

Book Signing This Weekend:

Sunday, November 6, 2010: Abingdon Square Market - 9AM to 12PM. Finally hanging out at my market! Come out and say hello!

A HUGE THANK YOU to the wonderful people who contributed to the IndieGoGo.com project to add video to this site!

We exceeded our $1500 goal for a total of $1690! I am so excited to get the equipment and hit the markets to take gorgeous videos for fall and the holidays!

Tonight’s Tenement Talk – The Resurgence of Markets in New York City

Please join us tonight, Tuesday, June 15, for the Tenement Talk at the New York Tenement Museum. I will be discussing the recent resurgence of markets in New York City with Anne Saxelby, Proprietor of Saxelby Cheese in the Essex Street Market, and Kimm Alfonso, Designer and Printer of Kimmchi Silkscreened Apparel. Kimm is also a director of The {NewNew}, a group of New York metro area artisans who work together to foster creativity and commerce in the handmade markets.

Refreshments will include a selection of regional cheeses from Saxelby Cheese and artisanal beef jerky from New Jerk City. Rumor has it that tonight is the debut of New Jerk City’s Manhattan flavored beef jerky!

See the listing in the Books Section in Time Out New York for more details and map to the Museum!

Events of Note at the Markets this Weekend!

Take a Free Pedicab Ride to the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory in Gowanus!

There are some wonderful, creative, and tasty events going on this weekend in the Markets of New York City!

Friday, June 11: The Inaugural Pushcart Market, sponsored by The Pushcart Project

The first ever Pushcart Market [Friday, June 11, 10AM - 6PM on Park Place between Broadway and Church Street] brings some of NYC’s best street vendors together on Park Place. Shop for jewelry, gifts, crafts, clothes and more from boutique vendor carts and enjoy a panoply of appetizers, entrees, nibbles, and sweets including:
* Jamaican jerk chicken and grilled fish by Vendy Awards finalist Fauzia Abdur-Rahman from the Bronx’s foodcart “Heavenly Delights”
* Indian/Mediterranean biryani by Vendy Awards Finalist and People’s Choice Award Winner Bangladesh native Meru Sikder from “Biriyani Cart”
* Seasonal vegan/vegetarian delights and desserts by vendor star Cinnamon Snail
* Handcrafted ice cream by vendor rookie Guerrilla Ice Cream, and more!!

Saturday, June 12: Handmade Hearth and Home

Presented by The {NewNew} at the Brooklyn Indie Market [Saturday, June 12, 2010 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Rain or Shine.
at the Brooklyn Indie Market, the red and white striped tent on Smith and Union Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn]

This weekend marks the first in a series of special shopping events sponsored by the Brooklyn Indie Market and The {NewNew}: Keep it Local, Handmade, and Sustainable: Mindful Shopping Made Easy. It is a series of curated market events, starting with handmade homewares and home decor! The next event is “Kidding Around,” featuring handmade clothing and toys for children, on June 17. The third event of the series on September 18, will be “A La Mode,” which will bring together some of the most creative independent fashion and accessories designers in New York City.

All of the items in this series are handmade locally. And if you cannot make it out to the Brooklyn Indie Market, you can purchase every item featured, and much more on Etsy.com.

Sunday, June 11: Pedicabs at the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory

[Sunday, June 11, 11AM - 5PM: 232 Third Street at Third Avenue, Gowanus, Brooklyn]

The Makers Market will have two Pedicabs to carry you to between the Farmers Market on 5^th Avenue and the Makers Market!

And next week:

Tuesday, June 15 Tenement Talks: Panel on the Resurgence of Markets in New York City with Kimm Alfonso, Anne Saxelby and Karen Seiger

New York Tenement Museum, 108 Orchard Street, 6:30 PM

I will be hosting a panel featuring Cheesemonger Anne Saxelby and Silk Screen Artist Kimm Alfonso. We will be discussing the resurgence of markets in New York City in recent years. Refreshments will include artisanal American cheeses from Saxelby Cheesemongers and handmade beef jerky from New Jerk City!

Have a great time and let us know what you find!

Sun, Sea, and Design at The {NewNew}’s Summer Home on Governors Island

This weekend marks the official opening of The {NewNew}’s Treasure Chest Boutique, their summer outpost on historic Governor’s Island. The {NewNew} is a group of New York area artisans who all sell their handmade items on Etsy.com, the world’s most vibrant online handmade marketplace.

Over 30 artists, designers, makers, and crafters have created a boutique that evokes the perfect seaside home filled with beautiful handmade wares, with attention to every corner and detail. It is the kind of place that will make you want to look at every detail and linger on the porch for a chat. You will find fashion designs, jewelry, ceramics, home decor, toys, stationery, and much more. I guarantee you will not leave without a treasure of your own, or the perfect gift for someone special.

It is a short and beautiful ride just across the harbor. Governors Island was a US Army and Coast Guard military base that was closed down in 1996. After years of consideration, the island is now a public space, managed by the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation and the National Park Service. There are concerts on the island, a huge picnic ground, bike rentals, and Water Taxi Beach.

This weekend, in addition to The {NewNew} Boutique, the 3-acre organic farm run by Added Value opens on Saturday, June 5. This farm is a wonderful education initiative and a great opportunity to volunteer and get your hands dirty.

You get to Governor’s Island via a free ferry from the Battery Maritime building at 10 South Street, leaving every 30 minutes on Fridays through Sundays. You can find The {NewNew} Treasure Chest Boutique bringing new life to Historic Home 6B in the heart of Nolan Park, a 5 minute walk from the ferry landing.

Fabulous Food and Crafts at the Brooklyn Lyceum

On May 1st and 2nd, the Brooklyn Lyceum was host to the wonderful Spring Food and Crafts Market. I went to the Lyceum’s Holiday Market in December, and I bought loads of gifts. The manuscript for the guidebook had already been submitted, but I called my editor at Little Bookroom and asked if there was any way we could make a last minute addition. This market was too good to leave out of the book.

Fortunately, Little Bookroom and our wonderful book designer worked it all out, and the Lyceum Market is indeed featured in the guidebook, which is officially released on May 11. So when the Lyceum invited us to do a pre-publication launch of Markets of New York City at the Spring Market, I was thrilled.

There were over 100 truly talented artisan and food vendors, and likely over a thousand wonderful shoppers. I cannot say enough about the high quality of the handmade goods. It was nice to see vendors meeting their repeat customers who come find them at the various markets around town. And there was a good deal of buzz around the food, which was in abundance, including BaconMarmalade, P&H Soda and Syrup (who kept me going in the heat with icy cream sodas), and the beautiful macarons from Macaron Parlour. I also brought home Niki and Doug’s Ramp Butter, which we have been slathering on pretty much everything this week (everything that wasn’t already slathered with BaconMarmalade, that is).

People were very excited about the guidebook, those who wanted to know where all the great markets are and even those who know all about them already. This was my first experience as a New York market vendor, and I had a great time, although it gave me first-hand experience as to how hard the vendors work every weekend while the rest of us are strolling through the markets munching on cupcakes and Yona’s mini-quiches. On Sunday evening, I went home, put my feet up, and fell sound asleep.

Photos of the Day – April 16, 2010: Opening Day at the Brooklyn Flea in Ft. Greene

Last weekend was the opening of the 2010 outdoor season for the Brooklyn Flea in Ft. Greene. It was a gorgeous day, and the shoppers and artisans alike were happy to be out in the sunshine. I thought I’d feature several of the extremely talented designers and artists who are often to be found at the Brooklyn Flea. If you didn’t make it out to the Brooklyn Flea last weekend, make sure you go this weekend!

Yani, Martin, MaryAnne and Kimm are also members of The NewNew Independent Etsy Artists and Designers in the Metro New York Area. The NewNew is holding their 2010 Handmade Cavalcade on April 24, 2010!

Better Than Jam Co-Op: Entrepreneurs Thriving in the Markets and Beyond

The markets of New York not only offer shoppers the rare opportunity to meet the people who make the things that we love; they also provide a place for creative people to meet, become friends, and start getting really big ideas. The Better Than Jam Co-Op in Bushwick, Brooklyn is one such idea. It is an exciting example of the entrepreneurial and creative spirit that takes root in the markets and grows into an innovative enterprise.

Printmaker and clothing designer Karin Persan opened the co-op just a few weeks ago, and she carries the designs from many of the talented artisans and designers who sell their products at markets such as the Brooklyn Indie Market, the Makers Market, the Brooklyn Flea, and others. The design quality and craftsmanship is outstanding, and Persan also aims to keep prices affordable. This shop is open 7 days a week, so if you can’t make it to your favorite market on the weekend, you can always stop by and do some shopping at the co-op on weekdays.

The current designers include Persan’s brand, Better Than Jam, as well as Joann Berman’s seriously fun and funky high-fashion pieces inspired by “green, hip-hop, skateboard culture, graffiti, Bushwick.” At the other end of the spectrum are the dainty and feminine handmade dresses of Melissa Bell NYC. KimmChi’s silk-screened apparel and the handmade clothing from the Soft Movement are stylish and comfortable.

Designs by Himane are about as environmentally conscious as any I’ve seen. The one-of-a-kind clothing is made from “hand-picked, locally-sourced, recycled clothing, donated fabrics, and broken umbrellas.” I actually recognized the fabric on one of their clever bag designs from an umbrella decorated with photo images of blue glass beads that I gave my sister Andrea. What, I ask you, are the odds of that?

There are also several wonderful jewelry designers, some of whom are featured in my upcoming guidebook. Caja Jewelry makes clean and clever hand-cut jewelry designs, including name plates ála Sex in the City, puzzle pieces, kitties, florals, or lungs. Knitknit Knits has whimsical felted and knit necklaces, earrings, and brooches. My mother loved the necklace from Andy’s House of Design that I got her for her 29^th (ahem) birthday.

The BTJ Co-op is in the up and coming Loom Building shops. The Loom is just getting going, with BTJ, a welcoming knitting cafe, an antiques shop, and some art galleries, with more to come.

Better Than Jam Co-op: 1095 Flushing Ave. (corner of Porter Ave.), a few short blocks from the Morgan St. stop on the L Train. Open every day from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

We Have A Winner!!!

We Have A Winner!!!

The winner of our first Market Swatch Newsletter giveaway is Kimm Alfonso!!! I know she will love the very special Rose Bonbons from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates at the Lower East Side’s Essex Street Market!

I’m especially thrilled because Kimm is a wonderful graphic designer who sells her bold silkscreened clothing, KimmChi Silkscreened Apparel, at the markets of New York City! She is also a member of The NewNew, “an eclectic group of independent handmade Etsy artists, designers, makers and crafters in the Metro New York area who are devoted to fostering a creative and supportive environment among its members.”

Visit Kimm’s online shop at www.KimmChi.com. She has some dainty nighties for Valentine’s Day!

Follow KimmChi on Twitter: and become a Facebook Fan!

You can also meet Kimm in person at The NewNew and Brooklyn Indie Market’s Valentines Fling, Saturday February 13, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM at Starting Artists, 211 Smith Street, Brooklyn.

Thanks to everyone for playing and for subscribing to Market Swatch!