<p>Witch Way to the Market?</p> | October 21, 2024

Fresh & Local:

Witch Way to the Market?

Spooky season is upon us - and that brief but delightful cold spell last week has got us feeling the Halloween magic! The Crescent City Farmers Market is brewing up two exciting markets for Halloween this year and we’re ready for a fang-tastic time with all of you.

First, our annual Halloween market is happening on Sunday, October 27th at the City Park Market from 8 am to 12 pm. Shop for your favorite fresh fruits and veggies and enjoy the spooky season festivities! If you come in a food themed costume, you’ll get a $3 prize to spend with participating vendors. This Halloween market will feature live music by the enchanting Anna Laura Quinn and a chicken breakdown demo from Pearl River Pastures. But wait - there’s more! There will be a seasonal cooking demo with Chef Kim, and we’ll have the fabulous face painter, Emily Evans, to make your kid’s (and your!) wildest dreams come true. There will also be a Market Mommas Club meet-up, where we’ll be giving away satsumas and infant ready bags. 

Then, don’t miss the Thursday Mid-City Market on Halloween itself, where you can boogie to jazzy tunes before heading out for trick-or-treating! Have any dull knives? Slicey McSlicer is offering a Scary Sharp special: 4 knives sharpened for $30! Come visit us on the Lafitte Greenway, stock up on groceries for the weekend, and get a tasty treat!

Picks of the Week:

Moonlight Market 2024: Tickets on Sale Now!

Regular admission tickets for Moonlight Market 2024 are now available for $60! With your ticket, you get exceptional value—enjoy tastings from ALL our incredible chefs and restaurants, along with refreshing beers, wines, and garden-to-glass cocktails—all while supporting Market Umbrella and the Crescent City Farmers Market.

Featured chefs and restaurants include: Saba, Mister Mao, Palm & Pine, Txow Txow, Honey’s, Paella NOLA, KD Nola Treats, Chef Shonda, and more!

Purchase tickets today!

Are you interested in volunteering at Moonlight Market? Get free access to the event before/after your volunteer shift. Sign up today!

Louisiana Farmer's Climate Convening 2025

Calling all farmers! Join the Louisiana Small Scale Agriculture Coalition (LSSAC) for the 2nd Annual Louisiana Farmers Climate Convening to learn, share, and connect with fellow like-minded farmers and growers. This engaging event will take place January 5 & 6 in Chicot State Park and will be an opportunity to gain valuable insights, exchange ideas, and forge new connections to help you navigate the food production challenges posed by climate change. 

RSVP on Eventbrite to reserve your spot today. Official registration begins in November. More information to come!

The Many P’s of Pumpkins

When you think of pumpkins, do you picture the classic orange Halloween kind? While iconic, it's just one of many varieties! The orange pumpkin from the patch is perfect for carving, painting, and decorating for spooky season. You can eat it, but other varieties often taste better and come in different colors, shapes, and sizes.

Whichever you need, CCFM has you covered! For eating pumpkins, Johndales Farm offers blanco, blue doll, and orange Cinderella pumpkins. L'Hoste Farm has Creole pumpkins, a century-old heritage variety from Louisiana. 5D Natural Farms has Jack Be Little, 8-ball, and bulldog pumpkins. And for carving, Johndales has you set. Visit the market and chat with the farmers for the best pumpkin tips and tricks this season!

Fall Vendors Returning

Thanks to the cooler fall weather, several Crescent City Farmers Market vendors are returning from their summer break! Are you interested in growing native plants that are unique and significant to our region? Check out Chickadee Natives for their plant starters! Looking for satsumas, garlic, and lots more produce? Check out Star Nursery! While we’re still awaiting the official return of River Queen Greens, you can get some of their greens currently at the SPROUT farm truck table! You can find all of these vendors and their fabulous offerings at the Thursday Mid-City Market, plus Star Nursery at the Tuesday Uptown and Sunday City Park Markets.

Vendor of the Week:

Candlestick Bakery

Please give a warm welcome to Summer Vetch, the pastry virtuoso behind the delicious Candlestick Bakery! Baking since 2009, Summer employs seasonal produce and flavors to lovingly handcraft a range of breakfast pastries and sweet treats, many inspired by her time in France! Located in Hammond, Louisiana, Candlestick Bakery puts an emphasis on sourcing ingredients locally. Their pastries are even made with milk from Sinagra, a Family Dairy in Amite! Summer loves the technical nature of laminated pastries and the substantial impact that time & temperature have on ensuring a great final product! She says, “It's so satisfying to see a croissant develop over the course of the three day process and it feels great when you nail it.” 

Visit Candlestick Bakery at the Sunday City Park Market and treat yourself to an incredible pastry. Ask Summer about catering, too!

Recipe of the Week:

Rustic Roasted Pumpkin Sandwich

It’s sandwich season! Well, to be fair, it’s always sandwich season. But now, you can enjoy autumnal delights like roasted pumpkin and even pumpkin seeds - your special reward when working with whole pumpkin. Stop by the market to pick up fresh bread from Leo’s and pumpkins from Johndale’s, 5D Natural Farms, or L’Hoste Citrus for this belly warming Rustic Roasted Pumpkin Sandwich.