By Mikaila Rivas '26
On one of the first chilly weekends of November, I visited the Columbus Farmers Market in New Jersey. The flea market opens early from Thursday to Sunday and closes at
8:00 PM, except on Sunday when they close at 5:00 PM. The flea market sells clothes, movie CDs, toys, and other retail items for inexpensive prices. One of the special features of the market is the Amish section where you can find Amish restaurants and produce. Outside, they also have other vendors selling produce, body care products, jewelry, and more fashion items, such as soccer jerseys and basketball caps. I also visited Peddler’s Village, an old-fashioned and picturesque outdoor shopping village with over 60 small businesses. The village opens
at 10:00 AM every day and closes at 9:00 PM, except on Sundays when they close a couple hours earlier. Some of the shops feature food, like baked pastries, while others sell clothes, sports team items, Christmas ornaments, and a variety of other specialty goods. While I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences of both markets, below are my highlights.
One of my favorite stores at the Columbus Farmers Market was Beyond Kollector's Choice, a store that sold dead stock toys, or toys that have never been sold, in this case,
because they were from over two decades ago. Walking through this store was comforting as I recognized some of the toys I wanted as a kid, like the Bratz Dolls, Precious Moments porcelain figures, and Tech Deck fingerboards. For a snack, I got a pretzel at Dutch Pretzel and it was delicious and was very fulfilling to eat, as it tasted homemade. The outside flea market was my favorite part because many vendors were selling stylish silver rings and 2000’s Aeropostale long sleeves and hoodies, which were very cute and I was so happy to see garments I’ve been wanting, in person.
Peddler’s Village certainly had a little more pricey items, but the quality of all the goods were amazing. The first place we visited was an information center to perhaps find a map because of how big the village looked, but we actually walked in and saw the
Gingerbread Competition Display. There was an abundant range of different houses because of the many categories they had, including Holly Jolly, Teen Gingerbread Competition, and Reproduction of a Movie or TV Set. I loved the gingerbread houses that featured Shrek and his friends and the pink winter cottages. I smelled probably every single candle at a holiday store called Pine Wreath and Candles while my other family members were looking at Christmas figurines. The heavily fragrant candles smelled exceptional. I still think about the Double Chocolate Espresso candle which had the richest chocolate scent I have ever smelt. I additionally visited The Lahaska Bookshop which had a variety of books from children’s to adult. The young adults and new reads section had a wide and great selection.
Columbus Farmers Market and Peddler’s Village was a fantastic experience and is a perfect place to do your Christmas shopping. Both of the markets are not too far from New York City and would be a great day trip to go on with some friends. I’m so excited to go visit both of these places again and find more quality goods I can buy.
All Photos Courtesy of Mikaila Rivas '26
Sources: Columbusfarmersmarket.com and peddlersvillage.com
Edited by: Valentina Cauchi '28, Catherine Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant
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