Christine Chitnis has crisscrossed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, discovering farmers' markets and crafts markets, and sometimes stretching the concept to include a one-of-a-kind floating farmers’ market (held on a sailboat), a community heirloom plant sale, and a wide range of artisan events and community festivals.

Experience a quintessentially American summer—a village-green, homemade-ice-cream, corn-on-the-cob kind of summer—exploring the fifty vibrant farmers’ and artisan markets profiled in Markets of New England. You’ll find picture-postcard settings, delicious food, and unique crafts down every ribbon of highway. In Massachusetts, make your way up the coast to Cape Cod, where markets feature baskets of blueberries and flats of oysters still dripping with saltwater; hop the ferry to Sustainable Nantucket’s picturesque farm stands; or journey inland to an art festival nestled in the Berkshires. In New Hampshire, attend a lakeside workshop and a market held on New England’s largest town common, in the shadow of a classic white church and steeple. Meander across Vermont during an open studio weekend, or to Maine for a clam festival, a county fair, and craft guild shows. Even tiny Rhode Island has pleasures aplenty: an oceanfront gourmet food tasting, an indie art fair overlooking Narragansett Bay and Newport Harbor, and more. Markets of New England leads you to the local delicacies, the most interesting purveyors, the products of community supported farms and fisheries, the standout crafts and artwork, and provides all the details you need to know, including off-season schedules. The food and crafts are filled with local flavor, the settings pure New England, and the itineraries provide enough delights to fill an endless summer.

Christine Chitnis is a writer, photographer and environmental educator.  She lives with her husband and son in Providence, Rhode Island.  Her writing has appeared in Country Living, Time Out New York, ReadyMade, Edible Rhody and The Washington Post, among many other local and national publications.  She holds a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado.  Visit her at christinechitnis.com

Hanover Farmers’ Market
The Green, Hanover NH
Wednesday 3pm–6pm, June–September
www.hanoverchamber.org

Hanover, home to Dartmouth College, boasts a happening farmers’ market scene. Although most of the student body packs up and heads home for the summer months, local residents and summer visitors fill The Green every Wednesday.

More than twenty local farms, as well as several artisan vendors, provide plentiful offerings. Members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen are often on hand giving demonstrations and selling their wares. Look for beautiful carved wooden spoons and toys, hand-dyed textiles, a variety of yarns and knitted goods, and hand-woven baskets.

If you only make one stop at this market, it should be at the popular Vermont Crêpe and Waffle stand. Though there is often a long line, be sure not to miss their fresh-off-the-griddle treats. There’s a savory, gluten-free buckwheat crêpe filled with Vermont cheeses, local eggs, caramelized onions, and sautéed spinach. Perhaps even more tempting is the dessert crêpe, which may be topped with chocolate sauce, seasonal berries, and whipped cream...or keep it plain with a drizzle of locally produced Vermont maple syrup.

Squam Art Fair
Rockywold-Deephaven Camp, Holderness NH
Held twice a year, early June and mid-September, Saturday 7:30pm–10pm
Check website for exact dates
squamartworkshops.com

Squam Art Workshops (SAW) were founded in 2008 by Elizabeth MacCrellish as a gathering place for creative individuals to work with accomplished teachers. During these weekends, participants, guided by expert artists, can try their hand at almost any art form, including painting, knitting, photography, fiber arts, sewing, and mixed media.

On Saturday night of both the spring and fall retreats, workshop teachers and local shops offer their goods for sale at the Squam Art Fair, a rousing event open to the public. With nearly forty vendors, you will find everything from yarn, clothes, and vintage linens to art prints, books, and photographs. A party-like atmosphere pervades, complete with free beer, twinkling lights hung from the rafters, and raffle prizes galore. A crowd usually gathers before the doors open, eager to snap up handcrafted goods from their favorite vendors—be sure to get there on time for the best selection and remember: if you see something you love, buy it right then and there, as the one-of-a-kind goods on display here tend to go quickly.

SAW takes place near the small town of Holderness which sits on Squam Lake and also hosts the interactive Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, promoting the study of New Hampshire ecology.


Vermont Crafts Council Open Studio Weekend
Statewide (map on website)
Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm, Memorial Day Weekend
www.vermontcrafts.com/links/open.html

More than 300 artists participate in the Vermont Crafts Council Open Studio Weekend, representing dozens of crafts. In addition to studio tours, many of the artists also give demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Because this event spans the entire state, the best way to plan an itinerary is to pick one county as a focus, and chart a route that includes the artists who have captured your attention. I picked Windham County in Southern Vermont and planned my weekend around visits to a wide variety of participants that include glassblowers, potters, painters, weavers, woodworkers, and jewelers. Many artists offer marked-down items and seconds.

A well-planned route might allow for five to seven studio visits a day, which leaves plenty of time for driving between locations and stopping along the way for coffee, snacks, and picturesque views that simply beg for a moment of your time. Many of the studios are tucked away down winding country roads, but as you near each studio, yellow signs mark the route, providing assurance that you are on the right track. If your route includes a major town, you might be able to catch one of the special exhibits or gallery talks held in conjunction with this event.

Aquidneck Growers’ Market
Newport Vineyards & Winery, 909 East Main Road, Middletown RI
Saturday 9am–1pm, June–October
www.aquidneckgrowersmarket.org

Given its location on the picturesque grounds of Newport Vineyards, it would be easy for the scenery to steal the show at the Aquidneck Growers’ Market, but thanks to a committed group of vendors, the market more than holds its own. Look for Rhode Island market staples from purveyors such as Custom House Coffee, Narragansett Creamery, Olga’s Cup and Saucer, Farmstead Cheese, and Pat’s Pastured. This is the only place where products from Aquidneck Honey and Aquidneck Farms are sold.

In what can only be described as a case of perfect timing, the market ends at 1pm, just when the first public tour of Newport Vineyard and Winery gets underway. It’s worth sticking around, if for nothing else than a taste of the award-winning Riesling and White Vinifera Blend. To round out your local shopping experience, ask the winery staff to suggest a wine to accompany whatever farm-fresh meals you might have planned for the coming week—the winery’s Vidal Ice Wine and a fresh peach cobbler are one such perfect pairing.