4MRMarket Report: Enjoy the Fruits (and Vegetables) of Our Labor! Biggest EVER!

The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market (4MRMarket) will be open every Sunday from 9am until 1pm from April 19th through November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. (click here for directions)

Come see all that we have to offer at our biggest 4MRMarket ever!

We think the title says it all here! This market will feature 14 vendors, including a brand new, first time at any market vendor: Bagel Uprising! See below for more details on that.

You'll also have the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria on site with adorable pets looking for a home and promoting their labor of love.

We have heard from customers over the years that they'd like to see 4MRMarket bigger. Well, this year it's much bigger than in the past and we need YOU to come out and make sure the vendors keep coming back. We realize it's a holiday weekend, but if you're in town, get out to 4MRMarket and show that if we build it (and build it, and build it), you will come!

Bagels: Boiled and Baked in Alexandria

Chad Breckinridge leads the Bagel Uprising from his Del Ray kitchen. The Bagel Uprising recipe—developed slowly over several years—produces a chewy and flavorful bagel from five wholesome ingredients: yeast, flour, salt, malt, and brown sugar. This weekend, they will be offering four traditional flavors: Poppy, Sesame, Everything, and Plain. Please stop by for a fresh bagel (or 12!) and a schmear of cream cheese. Also, follow them on Twitter: twitter.com/bageluprising.

If you pick yourself up some homemade lox from Selo Market and Eatery, you can jazz up your bagel experience even more!

Furry Cuteness From Animal Welfare League of Alexandria

AWLA will bring information about their organization, an adorable dog, and a reptile terrarium to tempt the pet lover in all of you!

AWLA places more than 1,500 companion animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, iguanas, chinchillas and many more, in permanent, loving homes each year. An additional 300 stray pets are reunited with their owners through the League annually. Their specially-trained staff also assist area wildlife that have been injured or are in distress—with the ultimate goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat or transferring them to licensed wildlife rehabilitators for care and eventual release.  For more information, go to www.alexandriaanimals.org.

The Vendors!

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

Food Vendors

• 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, apple cider donuts, 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.
• Second Rising Bakery (Alexandria) - Rebecca bakes delicious breads and cookies that are egg free and made with real butter, honey, and whole grains. Once this new business is up and running, it will help provide women that have been victimized by the sex trade a second chance.
• 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.
• Selo Market & Eatery (Alexandria) - They combine locally grown products and worldly influence in everything they do. With a focus on detail and design the market represents their love and passion for food, from childhood memories to experiences traveling and living abroad. "Selo" means "village" to Matt and Joanna it also means home-grown and local, meant to be shared with family, friends and community.
• Bagel Uprising (Del Ray) - Are you ready to rebel against dry, stale, flavorless bagels? Look no further! Bagel Uprising offers authentic handmade bagels—boiled and baked in small batches—that will satisfy your craving for the real thing.

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.
• Marie Bergeron (Arlington) - Selling original oil paintings, giclee prints, cards, and handmade gentleman jewelry boxes.
• N'KETIAH Hand Dyed Tees and Fabrics (Woodbridge, VA) - New York transplant N'Ketiah sells hand-made tie-dye and batik fabrics and t-shirts in a huge array of colors.
• Uncommon Knits (Leesburg, VA) - Handwoven linens made with 100% cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath.
• Papazian Jewelry Designs (Alexandria) - Unique hand-crafted works of wearable art in copper, silver, brass, semi-precious stones, and glass.

This Week on 4MR Stage...

We welcome another great act to the market this Sunday: Dan Barry will be on stage from 10-Noon!

Dan Barry is a NY native singer/writer living in the DC area in the same vein as Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, or Dave Matthews Band.

http://www.reverbnation.com/danbarry7

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 4MRMarket!

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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See below all the ways to help and participate in the market!

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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 Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Email 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 is 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

Subscribe to Updates: via Email

Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org

Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1