Every Sunday morning, one end of Harmon Avenue undergoes a metamorphosis: a crescent-shaped stretch of road reserved for commuter parking is transformed by a bustling horde of shoppers and vendors into the Pelham Market.

The Pelham Market is a destination for local businesses and vendors from surrounding counties, cities and states, who pack up their awnings and tapestries into white work vans and come together early on the first day of the week to share their products, smiles and stories. The market initially emerged to serve as an outdoor hub of commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then it has grown into a weekly must-visit for hundreds of residents.

Vendors display a wide range of merchandise, some selling freshly baked pastries like scones and blueberry crumb muffins, while others cater to pickle connoisseurs who seek the perfect jar.  Other vendors promote causes, such as environmental cleanup campaigns. Whether vendors have been selling at the market for years or are just beginning their journey, they all play an important role at the market.

Maplebrook Farms, which has been a pillar of the market since the pandemic, is just one of the many companies that bring their goods to Pelham on these Sunday mornings. Maplebrook Farms boasts a wide selection of artisanal cheeses, maple syrup and butter, all of which are authentically sourced and made in Vermont.

Maplebrook’s formula for success at the market is pretty simple, says Mary Gendron, who represents the company’s farmstand in Pelham most Sundays.  “Cheese is really the main thing that draws people,” she said.

Maplebrook Farms has grown steadily since it started during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gendron said. The initial goal of the business was to remain a hobby or side gig during idle hours quarantining at home, but the start-up has developed a devoted following not only in its home state but in Pelham.  According to Gendron, the key has been showing up.

“If you’re there every single week, people start to look for you,” she said.

Being a familiar and consistent face at the Pelham Market has not only boosted sales, but has enabled Gendron to become part of the local community.

“I’ve become friends with all their vendors. I have regular customers. I know them by name and know their dogs’ names. I love to people watch,” said Gendron. “The most important thing is just to have the desire to do it. If you have that spirit inside of you, you’re gonna make it happen.”

Soupernatural, another popular vendor at the market, is known for its vegan soup. Run by a husband and wife team, the business caters to locals searching for vegan food options.

“This is all vegan,” said Tom Philip, a co-owner. “It’s not an option you find too much, especially at farmer’s markets. So my wife and I decided to start it.”

Soupernaturals’ products are made with whole ingredients and contain no preservatives or chemicals.

“Not only is it delicious, but it is also very healthy,” said Philip. “Everything is natural, everything is organic, no preservatives, no chemicals. Nothing that’s going to, you know, put you in harm’s way.”

Pelham Market, with its hundreds of daily attendees and crowds of regulars, has helped the company grow immensely since its launch in 2021.

“Essentially, we started with one market. Now we’re doing five markets,” Philip said.

A Thai dumpling company, Grumpy Dumplings, is another husband and wife operation.  The couple, Jocelyn Pollak and Chalermrat Pongngarmsanga, launched it in 2022 after they moved from Thailand to the United States.

“My husband is Thai. He loved to cook. And when we moved to America, he wanted to follow something he was really passionate about. So I helped him start the business,” Pollak said.

This market season is their first as full-time regulars at the Pelham Market.

“I used to do corporate stuff, where I just sat in an office all day at a computer, and I like this much better.”

Known for its chicken and veggie dumplings, Grumpy Dumplings has grown since its launch.

“In our first season, we did three farmers’ markets. In 2023, we did seven. In 2024, we did 20. And this year, we’re doing 25.” Pollak said.

“You have to really be committed to what you’re doing and have to be consistent,” she said. “You have to show up every day, rain, shine, hot, cold, feeling maybe a little sick, a little bit bummed out. You have to be consistent.”

Milpa Rose sells handmade nixtamalized corn tortillas at the Pelham Market. The vendor also sells natural corn tortillas, masa and chips.

The company fills a niche in the marketplace, said Michelle Adams, a representative. “We work in the food industry and noticed that nixed and handmade corn tortillas, which are what we make, are not widely made in New York. And New York is a food mecca.”

Milpa Rose launched in 2015. This is its third year participating in the Pelham Market.

“I enjoy getting to talk to people about what we make, which is really unique,” said Adams.

Before joining local markets, Milpa Rose was a wholesale business. By selling directly to consumers at the Pelham Market and elsewhere, Milpa Rose has expanded its brand recognition beyond the business-to-business world.

“We’ve only ever done wholesale before this, so we definitely have a lot more people recognizing our brand and a lot more retail sales,” Adams said.

The Pelham Market, through its vendors and customers, has served not only as a popular destination for hundreds of Pelham residents on Sunday mornings, but has ignited a greater sense of community in all who participate. The market has become more than a place to buy groceries, it’s also a place to connect.