TEANECK, N.J.—On Nov. 24, Teaneck’s Thanksgiving Market was a bonanza of delicious foods and household wares. Dozens of vendors set up booths and tables under a huge tent in the Cedar Lane Municipal parking lot on Garrison Avenue. From noon to 4 p.m., shoppers filled up their shopping bags with cheeses, soups, honey and maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, coffee, Amish pies, apple cake and other baked goods and a variety of pickles.
In addition to the food items there were tables with essential oils and perfumed soaps that permeated the area with delicious fragrances.
Although it was raining steadily, people flocked to the Thanksgiving market all day.
“This is such a great event! I love the fresh produce and the baked goods, like the Amish pies,” Teaneck resident Diane Bittson explained. “There is something for everyone here!”
Another Teaneck resident who had come with her husband and 4-year-old twins, agreed.
“My family visits the weekly Teaneck farmers’ market during the season, but my kids really love this holiday market because it has so many desserts,” she said.
Donna and Ranny Pierce, a couple who’ve been married 51 years, enjoyed strolling along the aisles of the Thanksgiving market where they selected several items for themselves and as gifts.
The Thanksgiving Market was sponsored by the Cedar Lane Management Group, the town’s central organization that supports its members, i.e., businesses along Cedar Lane, and it does not charge them a fee for participating in community events such as this.
“We have about 175 businesses in our district,” explained Karen Careccio, chair of the Cedar Lane Management Group. “This is our first Thanksgiving Market, and even with this bad weather, I hope to see a few hundred people throughout the day. From the response I’ve seen so far, we will definitely do this again next year.”
Cedar Lane Management holds events throughout the year including a weekly farmers’ market, Memorial Day Street Fair, Halloween Festival and Zumba, ballroom dancing and Pilates classes.