Portland Farmers Market Invites You Over for Thanksgiving

Portland, Ore., November 19, 2009 – Portland Farmers Market invites Portlanders to feast on the region’s bounty this Thanksgiving. Shoppers can gather all they need at two dedicated Thanksgiving markets: the FEASTival Market on Saturday, November 21, at the PSU location from 9 am to 2 pm and the Thanksgiving Reunion Market on Tuesday, November 24, at the Eastbank location from 1 pm to 5 pm.

“What could be better than gracing your Thanksgiving table with food grown and produced locally?” asks Ann Forsthoefel, executive director of Portland Farmers Market, a nonprofit 501(c)6 organization operated by a small staff of four full-time and four part-time employees and numerous volunteers.

Thanksgiving FEASTival at Saturday PSU Market – November 21

This pre-holiday market has become the premier shopping destination for all the ingredients for a homemade holiday feast. In addition to shopping for all the Thanksgiving meal necessities – from turkeys to cranberries to the sweetest pumpkin for pie – customers enjoy an atmosphere of community, making the FEASTival a festive beginning to the holiday season.

There will be chef demonstrations at 10 and 11 am. The Taste the Place area will host a squash exhibit with information about different types and uses for different varieties. Shoppers can also find a holiday menu feature with four or five complete holiday menu booklets highlighting creative uses for the local bounty of the season. From soup to nuts, each menu will feature recipes and food lore based on a particular theme (like a winter feast from the grill, a particular world cuisine, traditional Thanksgiving, Pacific Northwest theme, etc.). The holiday menu feature kicks off on the FEASTival and runs through the Winter Solstice market on December 19.

While the other Portland Farmers Market locations have concluded for the year, PSU Market continues through December 19, 9 am to 2 pm.

Thanksgiving Reunion at Eastbank Market – November 24

The Portland Farmers Market is also planning a special Reunion Market at Eastbank from 1 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday, November 24, allowing eastside residents to shop for fresh, seasonal ingredients direct from local farmers and food artisans.

Shoppers can warm up with complimentary hot apple cider while gathering everything they need to dress their Thanksgiving tables –winter squashes, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, mushrooms, artisan cheeses, Oregon wines, fresh baked goods, organic eggs, flowers and other natural centerpieces. Eastbank is located at SE 20th between Belmont and Hawthorne (@ SE Salmon).

The Eastbank Market is sponsored by New Seasons Market. Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners West Coast Bank and Mix.

About Portland Farmers Market
Founded in 1992, Portland Farmers Market, a nonprofit 501(c)6, brings the best of the country to the heart of the city by supporting the region’s farmers and creating vibrant urban marketplaces where growers and consumers come together. This nonprofit’s staff of four full-time and four part-time employees aims to grow, nourish and inspire the community by staging weekly markets in four different locations throughout the Portland area from March until December. In addition to managing the markets, Portland Farmers Market has been an early leader in Portland’s sustainability movement and has served as an incubator for small businesses. With more than 250 vendors from Oregon and Washington – including farms, bakeries, nurseries, meat and seafood providers, cheese makers and specialty food producers – Portland Farmers Market is a true showplace of Northwest agriculture. www.portlandfarmersmarket.org