New public market opens next to Haymarket tomorrow; will offer New England's bounty

At 11 a.m. on Thursday, Gov. Baker and Mayor Walsh will cut the ribbon to officially open the Boston Public Market in the Hanover Street building that houses the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Haymarket T stop - bringing produce, honey, fish, meat and other products from the farms, fishermen and artisans of New England.

The 30,000-square foot space, which had been vacant since the building opened 12 years ago, will also offer all sorts of food - from pastrami sandwiches and matzah-ball soup to ice cream and donuts that can be consumed in a small seating area - or taken to go, of course.

Fresh flowers for sale.

"There's a lot of great energy with the other vendors," said Chris Kurth, owner of Siena Farms, a Sudbury farm with a CSA - and a store in the South End. "Everyone is excited to learn about each other and support each other, even competing products."

Quinn and her nuts.

Beth Quinn, who owns Q's Nuts with her husband Brian, agreed. The two have a small kitchen and storefront in Somerville but said that they are hoping to reach many more people from their new spot at the Market.

For other vendors, a space at the Boston Public Market is a completely new experience. Chris Avery of Boston Smoked Fish Company said the Boston Public Market is the biggest development for their business to date.

Kim Denney, co-owner of Chestnut Farms said, "This is literally our first hour of retail ever." She and her husband Rich Jakshtis sell meat at farmers markets around the region seven days a week from May through October. They hope to settle into a more sustainable home in the Market.

Only New England beers and spirits in this market.

In addition to delivering fresh meats, produce and other local products, The Boston Public Market features Hopster's Ally, a mini-store showcasing locally made beers, wines and spirits. Unlike its sister store in Newton, this Hopster's Ally doesn't brew onsite. They will, however, sell growlers and host tastings.

At one entrance of the Boston Public Market is a large open KITCHEN space, where the Market will host programming through The Trustees of Reservations. Beginning on August 19, nearly 40 program collaborators will give lectures, run cooking classes, teach yoga and host running clubs.

"The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market is one of the many components that truly set it apart from any other public market in the nation," said Boston Public market CEO Liz Morningstar.

The KITCHEN will feature a mixture of free, low-priced and competitively priced classes. "Our KITCHEN programming is designed to appeal to a broad base of people, ranging from seasoned foodies interested in picking up a new skill, to those looking for a healthy start to their day, to families looking for ideas on how to cook nutritious food on a budget," said Trustees' President and CEO Barbara Erickson.

After tomorrow's ribbon cutting ceremony, the Boston Public Market will be open every Wednesday through Sunday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

More photos

No more waiting until fall for fresh apple cider donuts.

You can buy greens grown in converted shipping containers in East Boston.

Taza Chocolate of Somerville has a booth.

Fresh cheese? Of course.

Watermelon fudge.