It's Farmers Market Times 2 for New Rochelle

New Rochelle will have two farmers markets—one on Friday and one on Saturday—beginning in June.

At a recent meeting, the City Council voted to allow Down to Earth Markets, which had operated a farmers market on Fridays at Library Green, to set up a market on a city-owned piece of land in front of New Rochelle High School along North Avenue.

The market will operate on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning in June.

The agreement is for three years.

"It's important to have a market in the north end," said Mayor Noam Bramson, "and we found the perfect spot."

"Down to Earth Markets is excited about it, and so are we," he said.

Down to Earth Markets's agreement with the city expired in December, and during discussions with the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District about creating a Saturday market at Library Green, the organization decided to explore other options that would not directly compete with the new market.

The City Council also voted to allow City Manager Charles Strome III to enter into an agreement with the BID to establish a "Grand Market" that will be held on Saturdays.

Councilman Ivar Hyden, D-District 4, who worked with the BID on plans for the market, said he was excited about it.

"It's going to be a tremendous opportunity for the downtown," he said, adding that the first day will be June 1.

According a memorandum to the City Council from Strome, the market will have "prepared and specialty foods, meats, fish, breads, bake goods, cheese, pickles, NYS wines and microbrewed beers and food-related services, such as knife sharpening and value-added products such as soaps, flavored oils and custom-blended spices."

Ethnic foods will also be offered, and there will be alfresco dining from weekly featured restaurants and food carts.

Art and music programming and children's entertainment will also be offered.

Westchester County owns Library Green, but Strome said it has approved the use of the park for the market.

Terms for the license agreement are still being finalized, Strome said.