By Catherine Cunningham | Contributing Writer
There’s nothing like watching the seasons change from a cold, dark winter to a bright, flowery spring. Although, during the wintertime we tend to loose sight of the flourishing nutrients that surround us. Luckily, the Aquidneck Growers’ Market provides just the right amount of local nutrients provided by vendors all over Rhode Island.
The Aquidneck Growers’ Winter Market runs on Saturday mornings inside the newly renovated Newport Vineyard and Winery from November to mid-May. Here, vendors such as Aquidneck Farms, Matunuck Oyster Farm, Barden Family Orchard, Narraganset Creamery, and several others sell their locally grown/made items.
People from across Rhode Island have made it tradition to attend the market every weekend. Brittney Santos, a Portsmouth resident, has maintained a loyal customer relationship with the markets all winter. “I’ve been coming to the markets every weekend since they opened,” says Santos, “My friend introduced them to me at the beginning of the season and I fell in love.”
Santos says that the markets are very “lively” and bring a happy aura to her weekend. She says her favorite vendor is The Coffee Guy because his coffee wakes her up every Saturday morning.
The Coffee Guy isn’t the only vendor worth raving about, though. The Providence Granola Project also has a lot to offer. “We are a nonprofit that provides job trainings for newly arrived refugees in Providence. They make all of the granola that you see here as part of the training program.” says Paula Cunanan, who hosted the Providence Granola Project booth during Saturday’s market.
Although only participating in the Aquidneck winter markets, the Providence Granola Project can also be found in other markets around Rhode Island year round. “Just interacting with people and letting them know about our mission because it’s not just granola. There’s a whole bunch of things happening behind it and the people we work with in these programs.” says Cunanan.
The winter markets are a perfect excuse to get off of campus for a few hours on the weekend. Paul Debarnot, a sophomore at Salve Regina, especially enjoys the change of scenery. “This is so cool!” he says. This semester, Debarnot is a foreign exchange student from Lyon, France. “We don’t have anything like this back home. It is so nice.”
Debarnot says that he is glad that the market is so close to campus. “It is easy to get to, and it totally beats Saturday morning breakfast from Miley!” said Debarnot, laughing.
The Aquidneck Winter markets will be held inside the winery until mid May. After this date, the market will move to their outdoor location, along Memorial Boulevard, with similar and new vendors.
