Pat Miller Earns Her Second Heart Of Del Ray Award For Farmers Market

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Del Ray Farmers Market, a year-round, volunteer-organized event, is the winner of the 2023 Heart of Del Ray award.

The Del Ray Business Association presents the annual award to a business or organization representing the "heart and soul of Del Ray." Nearly 1,000 people participated in the online public voting to choose the winner.

Other nominees were Del Ray Artisans, Del Ray Psych & Wellness, The Dog Store/Your Dog's Best Friends, Rosemont Landscaping & Lawncare, and St. Elmo's Coffee Pub.

The heart-shaped award was presented to the Del Ray Farmers Market on Friday. The farmers market, founded in 1994, features over 20 regional farmers and local vendors each Saturday at Mount Vernon and Oxford Avenues.

"It truly is a meeting place. On Saturday mornings, rain or shine, warm or cold, everyone goes to the Del Ray Farmers' Market," said Del Ray Business Association Vice President Gayle Reuter.

Those who nominated the farmers market for the award shared similar sentiments.

"It's where neighbors gather, non-profits meet neighbors, and vendors become friends," wrote one nominator.

"They literally are the heart of Del Ray — it brings the community together year-round and gives citizens a place to gather, collect community-produced items, and send back out into Del Ray, like the arteries from a heart," another nominator shared.

The farmers market is held at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, aptly named for the farmers market founder and manager, Pat Miller, for her service to Del Ray.

"The farmers say this is their favorite market — the one that they come to, no matter what," said Miller. "Thank you — Del Ray is the best."

A business can only win the Heart of Del Ray once. However, Miller won another Heart of Del Ray award for her former retail store, A Show of Hands. The former business had featured handcrafted items from local artists and won the first Heart of Del Ray award in 2009.

SEE ALSO: Pat Miller Neighborhood Square Dedicated In Del Ray (Photos)

Past winners of the award have been A Show of Hands, Jen Walker of McEnearney Associates, Bobi Bomar Homes of Alexandria, The Neighborhood Pharmacy of Del Ray, Greener Cleaner of Del Ray, Del Ray Pizzeria, Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga, Caboose Cafe, Del Ray Cafe, HomeGrown Restaurant Group, Taqueria Poblano, Ms. Preeti's 7-11, Dolce & Bean and Lena's Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap.