Saturday, May 9, 2015

4MRMarket Report: Mother's Day, Food Trucks, PY Metro, & Lemon Aid for Nepal

The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market (4MRMarket) is open every Sunday from 9am until 1pm through November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. (click here for directions)

This will be a very busy week at 4MRMarket!
  • First, and most importantly: Happy Mothers Day!  Bring your mom or mother of your children down to enjoy a performance, a grilled cheese sandwich from the Melted food truck, and a local shopping extravaganza!
  • Food trucks return to the market this weekend with grill cheese aficionados Melted. They sold out when they were with us last year, so come see what all the fuss is about!
  • Neighborhood kids will host a lemonade sale to support the victims in Nepal.
  • Potomac Yard Metro Station Outreach: The City of Alexandria staff will be talking to market-goers about the options facing City Council and their recommendations.
  • Alexandria Park Plan open house: Folks from the Parks Department will be on hand to discuss recently announced park plans.
Special Guests: Lemon Aid For Nepal
Neighborhood kids are hosting a lemonade stand at 4MRMarket this Sunday, featuring an old family recipe! 100% of the proceeds will be donated to International Relief Teams (irteams.org) for their efforts in Nepal. Bring mom and your thirst! It will be a perfect day for Lemon Aid!. Nepal was recently devastated by a massive earthquake and this weekend's Lemon Aid stand will support victims of that tragedy. Please stop by and cool off with a beverage that will make a difference. Suggested donation is $1 per cup, though straight donations will also be accepted.

The Vendors!


Here is who you will find at 4MRMarket this weekend!

Food Vendors
  • Melted Food Truck (Alexandria) - Melted aims to bring gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches to the DC area. You'll find masterfully crafted artisan breads and high-quality cheeses, toppings, and sauces to keep you comfy and cozy all day long. In Cheese We Trust!
  • C & T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce from a locally, family-run farm in Stafford, Virginia.
  • Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese and yogurt, farm-fresh eggs, and Pennsylvania honey.  And now carrying all his great cave-aged cheeses at 4MRMarket!
  • St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and always a few extra goodies!
  • Savory 'N Sweet (Alexandria) - Your local Bulgarian baker! Maker of Savory and Sweet Breads, Breakfast Pastries, Fruit Pies, Breadsticks, and Granola.
  • She Peppers (Alexandria) - Backyard gardeners who have turned the peppers, vegetables, and herbs that we grow into delicious and unique bbq sauces, pepper sauces, hot sauces, dips, and rubs. She Peppers also sells seeds and seedlings of the various types of peppers, tomatoes, and herbs for patrons.
And the talented Crafters:
  • Felicity's Handcrafted Soaps - (Alexandria) - All Season - Specialty crafter of all-natural hand-made soaps and knitted items
  • Sun & Moon Accessories (Manassas) - All Season - handmade jewelry from mostly natural products (seeds, gems etc). hand sewn articles of clothing made from crotchet. Scarves and baby boots and hats.
  • Uncommon Knits (Purcellville, VA) - Handwoven linens made with 100% cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath.
This Week on 4MR Stage...

Matt Buchanan will be on 4MR Stage from 10am-Noon this Sunday! He is a great performer with lots of crowd interaction!  He plays folk, rock, alternative, and blues, and you may have seen him playing at St. Elmo's Coffee Pub in the past.

Our musicians volunteer their time on Sunday mornings to make yours even brighter! They graciously accept tips and friendly applause, so please help support music at the market!

Composting at 4MRMarket!

Bring your non-animal-based food scraps in any type of container you choose, or purchase one on-site for a very low fee.
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The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt
BUY. Proceeds of our 4MRMarket T-shirts go to support the expansion and revitalization of 4MR Park. They cost $12 and come in 4 colors.

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support us in our efforts to revitalize Four Mile Run Park. Donate to the City's Living Landscape Fund to fund tree and other amenities at 4MRExpand More information here.

VOLUNTEER. We love help with set-up and tear-down and/or processing SNAP/EBT and Credit/Debit Card sales. Just find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

FOLLOW. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on FacebookTwitterGoogle+ or via our website and blog.

SPREAD THE WORD.  Please tell folks about us. And tell folks about some of the great things we're doing. For instance, all SNAP/EBT participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket was the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia to accept SNAP. 
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Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.
The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/
On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
On Twitter: @4MRMarket
Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org
Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1