The Arlandrian: 4MRMarket Report: "Healthy Mornings" Edition

Free blood pressure and BMI screening at 4MRMarket!

The INOVA Mobile Health Unit will be at the 4MRMarket this weekend doing free blood pressure tests and BMI screenings. And what better way to lower your blood pressure than a relaxing morning perusing locally grown and made products as the sounds of The Back Alley Blues Boys waft on the autumn breeze?

The INOVA Mobile Health Unit will be on site for the whole market, so drop by anytime! See the Facebook event page for more details!

Have you made it out to 4MRMarket lately? If not, take a "virtual tour" to see what all the hubbub is about! Thanks go out to talented musician Mike Elosh for the background music! (Click on this link if the video below doesn't load.

Watch this video and enjoy a virtual tour of 4MRMarket from last Sunday.

Once again this weekend, 4MRMarket will be loaded with great crafty artisans adding to the market experience. A new artisan vendor this weekend: Scented crafts a line of handmade, luxurious bath and body products including Body Polish, Kiss My Lips lip balm, Body Creme, Body Lotion, Moisturizing Bath Salts and Baby Lotions. Scented will be attending in alternating weeks from Old Town Suds throughout the rest of the season.

Refurbished furniture and rejuvinated antiques seller Rustic Refineries will be back for a second week in a row. Also back this week: don't miss Colorful Life, the mobile boutique where you can peruse and even try on Gechi's lovely line of clothing!

It's worth dropping by 4MRMarket each week just to see what new items you'll find.

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On Stage!

Enjoy The Back Alley Blues Boys from 10am-noon

The 4MRMarket Stage will be play host to market veteran The Back Alley Blues Boys from 10am to noon! The Back Alley Blues Boys are a local Alexandria blues trio. In their own words, they "play acoustic guitar-driven blues, folk, and roots music, from delta blues to rockabilly, as well as some softer acoustic numbers."

As always, the concert is free, but our performers welcome tips and friendly applause for sharing their craft with you on a lovely Sunday morning.

Please see the 4MRMarket FaceBook event page for more information about the show!

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Free Swag and Contests!

We still have INOVA sponsored Buy Fresh, Buy Local bags left over from National Farmers Market Week just a month ago! Come by the market and pick yours up this weekend!
We should hear about the winner of the The Buy Fresh, Buy Local and Win campaign soon. The winner receives a Virginia Grown® / Virginia’s Finest® gift basket valued at $250.

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4MRMarket Vendors this week:

C &T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce from a locally, family-run farm in Stafford, Virginia.
What's For Dinner Now - aka The Stifler Farm. Farm-raised Black Angus beef, humanely raised on lush pasture fields of the Shenandoah Valley, naturally farmed pork...and now... Uncle Frank's Grilling Sauce!!
Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese and yogurt, farm-fresh eggs, and Pennsylvania honey.
St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and always a few extra goodies!
Whole Health (Alexandria) - Organic teas and body scrubs from one of the largest Message and Acupuncture Therapy businesses in Northern Virginia
Raining Cats & Dogs - Gourmet Organic and Gluten Free Pet Treats

Return of
mobile boutique!

The Artisans

**NEW** Scented - (Potomac, MD) Scented is a line of handmade, luxurious bath and body products including Body Polish, Kiss My Lips lip balm, Body Creme, Body Lotion, Moisturizing Bath Salts and Baby Lotions.
Rustic Refineries (Alexandria) - This local due makes and sells refinished furniture, salvaged antiques and vintage items, plus jewelry made from old skeleton keys and wreaths and ornaments made from vintage music paper.
Whitney's World, Kenya Microcrafts - Fair trade handmade baskets and jewelry from Kenya.
Colorful Life (McLean, VA) - Food trucks may not be permitted yet in Alexandria, but this roving truck selling contemporary Women's apparel will bring the goods to market! Like any boutique, the customer can walk aboard the truck stocked with trendy clothing and accessories and even try on the pieces in our dressing room.
Others pending!

See below all the ways to help and participate in the market!

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The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt

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 the market. You can pre-pay online via Pay-Pal (send money to 4MRM@arlandria.org).

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. 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 to fund tree and other amenities at 4MRExpand More information here.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, come talk to us any Sunday. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT and Credit / Debit Card 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 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ 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 again this year 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. And C&T Produce now accepts SFMNP vouchers!

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Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.

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 April 14th until November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria.

(click here for directions)