Plenty of farmers markets in the region pack up after Thanksgiving. Ramsey's market keeps going. Every Sunday from May through November, the Ramsey Farmers Market sets up at the Main Street train station from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In December it moves to 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and stays on that schedule through April. It opens "rain, snow or shine" and closes only when severe weather is expected.
Most of the work this winter falls on the station's Sunday market. The rest of Ramsey's holiday calendar builds up around it, and the busiest weekend of the season starts on the first Sunday of the shorter hours.
Same platform, two fewer hours
This year the change happens on a clear date. November 2026 has four Sundays left after this post goes up: Nov. 8, 15, 22 and 29. Each of those runs from 9 to 2. Sunday, Dec. 6 is the first market day on the winter schedule.
| Season | Months | Sunday hours | Time at market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main season | May through November | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 5 hours |
| Winter | December through April | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | 3 hours |
The winter market is open three hours, which is 40 percent less time than in the main season. It also opens an hour later and closes an hour earlier. A late-morning visit that fit easily in October now has to happen by 1 p.m. If you usually come after lunch, plan to arrive earlier from Dec. 6 on.
The location doesn't change. Every listing on the market's site still puts it at the Main Street train station.
What the weekly roster looks like
This market is bigger than its small footprint suggests. A 2026 New Jersey Digest guide to the state's farmers markets says it has more than 70 vendors and runs year-round. The market's own site says it is at vendor capacity right now, with Nancy Boone as market manager.
The market's weekly vendor list mixes farms, bakeries and prepared food. For a cold-weather Sunday, these vendors stand out:
- Dairy and cheese: Chaseholm Farm Creamery for farmstead cheeses from grass-fed cows, Edgwick Farm for goat milk, goat cheese and goat-gurt, and Valley Shepherd Creamery.
- Meat and pasta: Baldwin Family Farm for pasture-raised meats, plus Nicola's Pasta Fresca.
- Bread and baked goods: Bien Cuit Bakery, Hudson Bakery and Meredith's Bakery. The vendor directory lists Meredith's for pies, biscotti, cookies, muffins, rolls and breads.
- Produce and mushrooms: Norwich Meadow Farm, Madura Farm, Tivoli Mushrooms, Orchards of Concklin and MEVO Fresh Roots, which the directory describes as an organic nonprofit educational farm.
- Something warm to eat on the spot: Homespun Chili, Lara's Kitchen for Lebanese kabobs and falafel, Paolo's Kitchen and Pie Eyed Pizza.
- Pantry: Doc Pickle for fresh pickles and olives, Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruits with more than 50 varieties, and The 201 Sauce Company for small-batch barbecue sauces.
The full vendor directory includes a few useful extras before holiday cooking starts. Hudson Grinding Knife Sharpening handles knife sharpening and blade repairs, and Aunt Vicky's Bickys sells homemade dog treats.
The lineup changes from week to week, and the market says so directly. It posts a newsletter every Thursday night on its Facebook page with that week's special vendors. It also points shoppers to Facebook and Instagram for last-minute changes. If you're going for one specific vendor, read the Thursday post first. That matters even more once the hours get shorter.
Dogs are allowed, with rules. Walk your dog before you arrive, keep it on a very short leash, and keep it away from the food vendors' tables.
The November Sundays carry their own errands
The remaining Sundays at the long hours aren't all regular market days. The market's calendar lists a Second Chance Toy Collection on Sunday, Nov. 15. Check the Thursday newsletter that week for collection details.
Earlier in the week, the Ramsey Chamber of Commerce holds its November member meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m., at the Ramsey Community Center, 78 E. Oak St. The Chamber says both members and residents are welcome. The Chamber also appears on the market's own calendar, which lists Ramsey Chamber of Commerce Day on Oct. 25, alongside a Touch-a-Truck sponsored by the Ramsey Jrs.
Dec. 5 and 6: the weekend everything lands at once
The first weekend of December brings all of this together, and it happens just as the market's hours get shorter.
Saturday, Dec. 5, 4 to 8 p.m. The Ramsey Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Ramsey Volunteer Fire Department on a Home for the Holidays outdoor market on Island Road. The Chamber calls it a holiday fair running "before, during and after the annual Home for the Holidays parade." The Chamber takes questions at [email protected].
Sunday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is the first farmers market on winter hours. The Ramsey Area Garden Club is sponsoring a poinsettia and Christmas cactus sale at the market that morning.
Sunday, Dec. 6, noon to 4 p.m. St. Nick visits the Old Stone House at 538 Island Rd.
Put the Sunday times side by side and they overlap by one hour. The market's first winter session ends at 1 p.m. The Old Stone House visit starts at noon and runs until 4. Someone who wants to buy a poinsettia from the Garden Club and also visit St. Nick has an easy order to follow. Go to the station in the morning, then head to Island Road at noon or later. On Dec. 6 the market closes at 1 p.m., an hour earlier than it did the Sunday before.
Island Road hosts events on both days. It has the Chamber's fair and parade on Saturday evening and the Old Stone House on Sunday afternoon. The station market sits between them on Sunday morning.
The market's calendar lists these dates by month and day, and all of them are scheduled events, so confirm the details closer to the date. The market's Facebook page and the Chamber's event listings are the places to check.
A new stop on the way there
Knockout Bagels is new for Sunday mornings this fall. It's a family-owned shop at 475 N. Franklin Turnpike. In an October story, NorthJersey.com reported that co-owner Maria Ruggiero grew up in Ramsey and runs the shop with her father, brother and fiancé. She told the outlet the family set out to build "a spot that is part of people's memories and a place they come home to."
According to NorthJersey.com, the shop serves hand-rolled bagels baked fresh daily, plus signature sandwiches and specialty spreads inspired by the family's Italian heritage. One of the sandwiches is the Capo Donato, named for Ruggiero's father. With the winter market opening at 10 instead of 9, there's an extra hour on Sunday mornings to stop for a bagel first.
If you have questions about Ramsey this season, or you're thinking about a move around these Sunday routines, the team at Tarvin Realtors is glad to talk it through. We've been part of the community calendar here since 1971, and we hope to see you at the station. Contact Us anytime.
