August Happenings

Starting Year Three with Plenty of Peaches and the 5th Annual Fermentation Festival

BOSTON, July 31—The Boston Public Market is officially two years old, and what better way to honor the occasion than with two giant pies made with fruit grown by local farmers? In celebration of BPM’s second anniversary, we’re handing out 200 sunflowers, slicing up peach and blueberry pies each measuring 4ft2, and raising our forks to two wonderful years (and counting!) of fresh local food available year-round.

Year three is starting off peachy, literally! Peach Fest on the Plaza (8/19) is a full day dedicated to this year’s bountiful peach crop – something truly worth celebrating after the sad summer of 2016 sans stone fruit. Red Apple Farm will be selling peaches by the bushel, and Crescent Ridge, Siena Farms, Stillman’s Farm, Inna’s Kitchen, and Jennifer Lee’s Bakery are joining forces to create delicious combinations like peach crisp, peach knishes, and peaches and cream. How do you like them peaches?

August is peak tomato season, and later this month the Boston Public Market will house the best in the Bay State at the 33rd Annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest (8/22)! Tomato growers from across the Commonwealth will compete for top honors in this friendly competition coordinated by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association. Once entries are judged on flavor, firmness, color, and weight, the public is invited to sample tomatoes to their heart’s content.

Fans of fermenting: the 5th Annual Boston Fermentation Festival (8/27) is bubbling up to be bigger and better than ever! This FREE tour de fermentation sponsored by Indigo Ag and Gingko Bioworks will feature workshops, lectures, and over two dozen exhibitors in addition to a libations garden, science corner, and participatory Kraut Mob! Whether you’re a novice fermenter, experienced aficionado, or simply an avid kombucha consumer, this year’s Fermentation Festival will feature something for everyone.

Looking to soak up every last ray of summer sunshine? Join us outside for an Ice Cream Party on the Plaza every Saturday this month! Crescent Ridge will be scooping their award-winning ice cream combined with Boston Public Market toppings like Stillman’s Farm berries, Taza’s stone ground chocolate, Sweet Lydia’s handcrafted s’mores, and other sweet favorites.

Find details below about August happenings and visit bostonpublicmarket.org/happenings for more information. Check out the Market’s 35+ vendors, and explore their locally sourced and seasonal produce, meats, dairy, seafood, bread, prepared and specialty items, and more.

Visit the KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market, programmed by The Trustees, for an exciting lineup of culinary, health, and wellness programs this month. The Trustees offers daily events and programs at the 3,300 square foot, state-of-the-art demonstration KITCHEN space. Programs are designed to connect Boston residents, commuters, and visitors to local food and healthy, active living. Visit thetrustees.org/KITCHEN for a full schedule.

AUGUST POP-UP VENDORS:

  • RI Local Food Bazaar (7/31-9/3): Seventeen Rhode Island food entrepreneurs will take turns sampling and selling their products at a booth that tells the story of the state’s vibrant food economy.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1:

  • Boston Public Market at Dewey Square (every Tuesday and Thursday; 11:30am-6:30pm on Dewey Square Plaza): Our outdoor seasonal farmers market is in full swing! Find us outside South Station along the Rose Kennedy Greenway with more than 20 New England farmers, fishers, and food purveyors.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 & 9:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3:

  • Berklee Summer Concert Series (every Thursday; 5:30-7:30pm; FREE): We’re thrilled to welcome back the talented musicians of Berklee College of Music for weekly live concerts in the Market HUB! Every Thursday this month, Berklee bands will perform across a variety of genres, including Latin music, folk, pop, soul, jazz, world music, and more.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4:

  • Summer Fridays Sip & Shop (every Friday; 3–7pm): Enjoy a beverage while you shop or dine throughout the Market! Visit our BPM bar in the Market Hub for wine from Massachusetts Wine Shop and local beer.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5:

  • $5 on the 5th at Stow Greenhouses (8am-8pm): Treat yourself to a petit bouquet for just $5. A little something to perk up your desk or counter. Get them while they last!
  • Coffee Extraction with George Howell Coffee (10am-12pm in the KITCHEN): The experts at George Howell Coffee will give you the tools to help make more informed decisions when brewing at home. This seminar will be intertwined with lecture and interactive coffee tastings finishing up with a discussion and Q&A about extraction best practices. Each participant will receive a bag of George Howell Coffee to take home for extraction practice!
  • Meet the Maker at Siena Farms (11am-4pm): Siena Farms will continue their “Meet the Maker” series with Steve from Blackwater Mustard Co. Stop by to try his award-winning mustard made in New Hampshire!
  • Ice Cream and S’mores on the Plaza (1-4pm): Crescent Ridge will be celebrating their 85th anniversary with Graham Central Station ice cream and s’mores from Sweet Lydia’s and Taza Chocolate.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6:

  • $1 Buck Shuck at Red’s Best (11am-7pm): 1st Sunday of every month is officially $1 oysters!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 18, & 25:

  • Eating New England (6-7pm in the KITCHEN): Join professional foodie and author Adam Centamore for an evening getting to know your tasty neighbors. Pair local wines from Mass Wine Shop and beers from Hopsters Alley with cheeses from Appleton Farms and chocolate from Taza Chocolate. Plus, you’ll learn the basics of buying, storing, serving and pairing all your favorites.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12:

  • Kids in The KITCHEN: Sunflowers with Siena Farms (10-11am in the KITCHEN): More than a beautiful flower, the sunflower plant has many uses including the seeds, petals, leaves, and roots. Kids ages 6-12 will learn all about the many uses of sunflowers and roast Jeruselem artichokes with seasonal herbs and spices.
  • Rhode Island Seafood Demo (1-3pm in the KITCHEN): The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation will be hosting a free demo event in the KITCHEN to highlight the bounty and diversity of seafood that Rhode Island has to offer. Programming will include cooking demonstration, tastings, and lessons in harvest techniques, availability and sustainability.
  • Farm-to-KITCHEN Cooking Class: Handmade Ravioli (6-8pm in the KITCHEN): In this lively, hands-on cooking class you’ll create THREE different ravioli varieties and sauces made with the freshest local ingredients. In addition to learning a new cooking style, you’ll enjoy tastes of three local New England winesthat pair perfectly with recipes we’ll be making, courtesy of the Massachusetts Wine Shop.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13:

  • Nella Pasta Making Workshop (4-6pm in the KITCHEN): Learn how to make pasta from scratch with Nella Pasta! In thishands-on workshop, you will make pasta dough by hand, roll it into sheets, and learn dozens of different pasta shapes (inc. pappardelle, linguine, farfalle, strozzapretti, etc.). You will then create a seasonal dish with Nella’s handmade fettuccine and eat together at the communal table!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19:

  • National Honeybee Day (11am-2pm in the KITCHEN; FREE): Boston Honey Company is celebrating National Honeybee Day with a FREE local honey festival! There will be honey extraction demos, freshly extracted honey sampling, raffles, prizes, and a talk about beefarming. Buzz on by!
  • Peach Fest on the Plaza! (10am-4pm): Celebrate stone fruit season with bushels of fresh peaches from Red Apple Farm, peach knishes from Inna’s Kitchen, peach crisp topped with Crescent Ridge ice cream, allergen-free peach treats from Jennifer Lee’s Bakery, and so much more!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20:

  • Stillman’s Farm Tomato Contest (10am-1pm in the KITCHEN; FREE): Stillman’s Farm handed out 100 tomato plants this spring and now they are welcoming everyone back for their 2nd annual tomato contest! Tomatoes will be judged in several different categories with fun prizes for the winners, and plenty of sampling and snacks! Open to all amateur growers – even if you didn’t get your plant from Stillman’s.
  • Bread Making Workshop (4-6pm in the KITCHEN): Ever wanted to know the secrets behind making fresh-baked bread at home? Experts from the Cambridge Culinary School will teach the art of baking naturally-leavened bread in classic varieties. While you work, you’ll sample breads baked by the Boston Public Market’s local baker, Somerville Bread Co. and snack on local cheeses from Appleton Farms.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22:

  • 33rd Annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest (9am-2pm in the KITCHEN; FREE): Tomato growers from across the Bay State will compete for top honors in this friendly competition coordinated by MDAR and the New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25:

  • Chocolate Horchata and Churros Round 4 (4-7:30pm): Taza Chocolate is bringing back the famous churros and horchata event once again! Head down to the Taza Chocolate Bar for a limited batch of iced chocolate horchata and churros to send the summer off in style.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26:

  • Kids in The KITCHEN: Veggie Sushi with Stillman’s Farm (10am-11am in the KITCHEN): Veggies are so versatile! One way to make eating them more fun is to wrap them into a colorful and flavorful sushi roll. Kids ages 6-12 will get their hands dirty as they perfect their sushi rolling technique using fresh seasonal veggies from Stillman’s Farm.
  • Ice Cream Party on the Plaza (1-4pm): Soak up the summer sunshine while savoring Crescent Ridge ice cream outside on the plaza along the Greenway! They’ll be topping their award-winning ice cream with Stillman’s Farm berries and other BPM favorites.
  • Mixology Class With Saxtons River Distillery (5:30-7pm in the KITCHEN): Learn to create craft cocktails using local spirits made right here in New England! Each cocktail will pair Saxtons River Distillery liquors with fresh ingredients from Boston Public Market vendors to create signature flavors.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27:

  • Fermentation Festival (10am-4pm; FREE): Foodies and fermentation enthusiasts from around New England will gather at the fifth annual Boston Fermentation Festival! This free event sponsored by Indigo Ag and Gingko Bioworks will feature workshops, lectures, a libation garden, a participatory Kraut Mob, over two dozen exhibitors, and a whole lot of fermenting fun.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31:

  • “Aw Shucks” Hands-on Raw Bar with Red’s Best (6-7:30pm in the KITCHEN): Red’s Best will supply their fresh, local and sustainably-caught oysters, razorback clams, and scallops for a hands-on shucking lesson with one of their experts. Everyone will eat their fill of the finest bivalves New England has to offer and will add “oyster shucking” to their list of new skills!