The Arlandrian: 4MRMarket Report: "Closed for Safety" Edition

"Don't you remember it was rain
that drowned you"

Oh we hate to do it. We wish we could be live up to that old Post Office motto. We aren't scared by a little rain. Wind is a different story. We contacted all our great vendors last night and told them that Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market will be closed this Sunday August 28th.

Please keep 4MRMarket in mind after the skies clear. Farmers, crafters, artisans and our intrepid volunteers depend on your support to keep this thing alive. Even though we're close for saftey, shutting down and losing a week still hurts.

And we'll miss seeing folks too.While hunkered down, please consider how to help keep this community enterprise alive:

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. See us model a few at next week's market or pre-pay online via Pay-Pal (send money to 4MRM@arlandria.org).

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MR Park. 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. More information here.

ANSWER. Do you like to bike to 4MRMarket? If so, please fill out this survey from the League of American Bicyclists to help get 4MRMarket certified as an official Bike Friendly Business.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org to sign up or look for the "volunteer" tab on our website. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT sales, help us keep our books, help set up or tear down for the market, or help us find musicians to play the market. You can also find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4mrm@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook or Twitter 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 that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP.

Check back with us after the storm. But plan ahead and contact any of these great folks online if you'd like to shop virtually over the weekend. Here is we hope you'll find at 4MRMarket next week:

The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" (Shenandoah) - Natural, locally farm-raised black Angus beef, and now fresh, farm raised Pork, including bacon and andouille, chorizo, and breakfast sausage! (all flash frozen for convenience)
Pleitez Produce (Northern Neck) - A full range of locally grown produce, herbs, and more.
Bread and Chocolate (Arlandria) - A range of baked goods.
Herban Avenues at AHHA Ranch (Lovettsville, VA) - Herbal remedies, amazing soaps, heritage breed chicken eggs, and a variety of herbs.
C and T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce.
St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and a few extra goodies.
Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese, yogurt and Pennsylvania honey.
Chris Waters Furniture - Beautiful, rustic tables, bookshelves, and other furniture items, all handmade.
Uncommon Knits (WV) - Handwoven linens made with 100% cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath.
Ron RLR-Designs (Herndon, VA) - Artistic photo prints to dress up any wall
Simply Healthy Water (Vienna, VA) - Try Dennis and Eileen's homeostatic filtered water and see if it's something you want to be able to enjoy every day.
Sweet Hearts Patisserie (Fairfax, VA) - a Northern Virginia based patisserie specializing in gourmet victorian petit fours and other miniature sized pastries. Sweet Hearts petit fours are made in a variety of delectable flavors and designs, and make the perfect gift or tea time treat.

VeloCity bike co-op will be on-site doing teaching bike maintenance and repair. And our 4MRMarket Tent will certainly be the host to some great community group.

INOVA at Whole Foods 5% day
raising funds for Double Dollar Program.

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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.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from May through October in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria.