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It was a cold November day on May 31 but the Lewiston Artisan Farmers Market is open for the season and it was rocking Saturday with at least 10 new vendors not afraid of a nasty chill under gunmetal gray skies.
Among our new favorites is Four Kings Distillery, based in the industrial park in downtown Newfane and offered by Michael Outten and his wife. The bourbon is good. His blueberry vodka was better. We need to visit their tasting room but that will wait for another day. With Niagara Craft Distilling closed, they may be the only people making craft liquor in Niagara County.
On the market’s main drag, the regulars were there, Schul Homestead, as always with great greens, I snagged an heirloom tomato plant of an unrecognized flavor. The folks from Thymes Right were there as well as FJZ Breads and Heartland Organics and more.
I also bought a 16 oz. bag of whole bean dark roast coffee from Ian Billings and Terrilyn Scozzafava of Niagara Coffee, based at 8651 Buffalo Ave. in the Falls. It was $15 – $4 more than Great Lakes charges and $3 less than we paid in Kent, Ohio earlier in May but hey, buy coffee fresh from the roaster and a full pound. I will take that every time.
We also had a nice visit with Narji Evans, who is based in Lockport and offers metaphysical jewelry, meditation and life coaching in addition to Yoga. She said she vended at Festival of Slice, and in Lockport and is happy to be trying her luck in Lewiston.
A trio of smiling faces greeted us with chips and dip, “Salsa Rema.” It was Rebecca Gonzalez and friends offering Salsa Rema. We grabbed a bottle of creamy garlic. If that name and smile seem familiar, you may know her from Manito Taco Shop in Wrights Corners. Rebecca trained to be an engineer before moving here from Oaxaca to help her dad with his taco truck, now a brick and mortar restaurant. There is no better Mexican food in Western New York.
Rachel Jolbert of Three Little Hens Baking (try the macaroons) is the major domo. She gets an “huzzah” for all the new vendors. It will be fun to see if they change the configuration to use the new pavilion.
Also, I shaved this morning with soap from Amy the soap lady. It was round, smells nice, (bay rum, I think) and high quality. I miss her already. The only better bar of shaving soap I have ever found came from Harper Hill Farms. I may have to plot a trip that includes Bennington to find another. (First world problems.)
Josh Maloni of the Lewiston Tribune wrote about it here. You might even see a familiar dog in the photos and the back of my head. https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/featured/2025/05/30/163253/local-community-key-to-lewiston-artisan-farmers-markets-success?
