Jen W.
Yelp
Ho-lee Mo-lee! I had no idea this place was so big! After spending a year only in my 'pod' with the occasional hiking expedition and grocery store, entering this gigantic building full of people and vendors I was definitely overwhelmed and had to collect myself. Even after checking out the website and downloading the vendor layout, I was not prepared for the magnitude of this space. But enough about me.
First off, parking: there is a good size parking lot next to the building and it looks like another adjacent that is used by patrons. There is a bit of additional on-street parking on the opposite side of the building.
The number of patrons allowed inside at one time is limited and we had a short wait outside by the door. Staff use an app where a person at the exit notes how many have left, so the one at the entrance knows how many to let in. There is no covering outside, so do bring an umbrella if the weather is inclement, however on our day, it was sunny and we were serenaded by a young violin player as we waited.
Once inside, there is plenty of hand sanitizer throughout the building as well as signs reminding you to keep a safe distance and the vendors tables are spaced so there are no large gatherings. Everyone was masked up and many customers were waiting 'back' from the tables to allow those being served to move away before moving forward for their turn.
During our visit there were a few 'farms' offering produce, a couple of kombucha vendors, baked goods, alpaca goods, natural beauty items, a knife sharpener (I'm sure there is a word craft, no?), hot sauce, lots of farm raised meats and fresh seafood. I 'took a turn' through the building to wrap my brain around what was available and then made another round to make my purchases.
Once I bought my first item, I was on a roll. Picked up some alpaca socks for a family member who has tried 'everything' to keep their feet warm and find these are the only type that work *and* feel comfortable so win-win. Natural bug repellent for those hikes in the woods, a really dense loaf of bread that is so amazing, sea scallops that were cleaned, dried and packaged appropriately, then packed w/ice in my take home bag. I grabbed a bag of spinach from a Coventry farm; when I walked by first time he had a load of salad greens, by the time I made it back to his stall here were about a dozen left so note to self, don't wait next trip!
Most vendors were very friendly with only a couple of exceptions. We stopped by a few tables to ask questions about their products and collected a couple of business cards to check out websites. Some offer 'mail order' and others will list what they will have available at the next market. It's too bad we couldn't try samples of a couple of items. When you are not sure if you will enjoy a particular item, it's hard to convince yourself to buy it. Also to note: the farm raised meats and eggs are much more expensive than you'll find in a grocery store. This makes sense as they are raised in a more humane manner, closer to nature. They will taste better and be healthier as a result. It was a lovely surprised to see goat as an option besides beef and pork products.
Produce is seasonal and fresh, the seafood source was included on the price list, I acquired a business card from a mushroom vendor to find out what will be on offer next market (fresh porcini! Mmmm), and made note of other vendors to try. I especially like that I can have a dull knife sharpened here while I shop. Very convenient.
There were two food trucks outside, which smelled amazing, and an outdoor area that had a few places to sit and I imagine will offer more once we no longer need to keep a social distance. One other thing, there is a river across the street which is part of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway. It's an in-city pathway comprised of sidewalks and designated pathways that follows the river more or less as buildings allow, through the city. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to walk this path, but we did follow it a short distance and it does provide a nice bit of green/nature in a dense city area with some seating areas that are very nicely designed.
Very happy I made it out the market and now that I know the layout I will be prepared for my next excursion! Definitely check out the website for vendor information and more before your first visit.