On Saturday mornings, a parking lot behind the Princeton Junction train station becomes something of a downtown for West Windsor, with shoppers browsing fresh produce, the smell of baked goods and prepared foods filling the air, and neighbors catching up over coffee while local musicians perform.
It is a scene that has become familiar over the past 23 seasons at the West Windsor Community Farmers Market, which started with just eight farms and one baker in 2004 and has grown into one of the most highly regarded farmers markets in the country.
And as the market closes in on its 25th season in 2028, it has once again earned a place among the nation’s best.
The market finished first in New Jersey, second in the Northeast and eighth nationwide in the American Farmland Trust’s 2026 America’s Farmers Market Celebration, adding to a collection of honors that includes a fourth-place national finish in 2022.
The latest rankings were announced Thursday, Oct. 8, following two months of public voting in the annual competition, which recognizes farmers markets for their contributions to local agriculture, food access and community life.
For market manager Chris Cirkus, who has overseen the West Windsor operation for approximately 16 years, the recognition is as much about the people who have made the market a community institution as it is about the farmers and food producers who come each week.
“At our core, we are simply fellow community members who created a stand-alone non-profit back in 2004 to support our farmers, promote the benefits of shopping locally, help to make good food accessible to all neighbors, and create a welcoming and healthy space for our community,” Cirkus said in announcing the rankings.
“This recognition allows more folks to discover the gem hidden behind the busiest train station (Princeton Junction) on the Northeast Corridor and create a weekly pop-up downtown!”
That idea of creating a temporary downtown has been central to Cirkus’ approach to managing the market, which has grown considerably under her leadership.
Today, the market features 20 New Jersey farms, nearly 50 New Jersey artisan food producers and an assortment of other vendors and services. Shoppers can find everything from freshly picked vegetables and fruits to locally raised meats, cheeses, seafood, baked goods, mushrooms, honey, pasta and prepared foods.
But the market is also a place to spend a Saturday morning, with live music, craftspeople, nonprofit organizations, children’s activities and opportunities to meet the farmers and entrepreneurs responsible for the food on display.
The market has been a regular contender in the American Farmland Trust competition, now in its 18th year. It has repeatedly earned the top ranking in New Jersey and was ranked first in the Northeast and fourth nationally in 2022.
Much of the credit for developing the market into a regional destination goes to Cirkus, a longtime West Windsor resident whose interest in food and agriculture eventually developed into a career connecting local farmers and small businesses with customers.
Her path to managing farmers markets was not a conventional one. Before taking over in West Windsor around 2010, Cirkus worked at the Beth Chaim Preschool, where she developed a cooking program for young children. Her interest in cooking and gardening went back much further, to her childhood.
“I have been a lover of good food my entire life. I grew up in a home with an amazing mom who cooked, and we even had a giant garden,” she recalled in a 2018 interview with Community News.
At the time she took the West Windsor position, the market was already established but considerably smaller than it is today. What initially seemed like a part-time opportunity suited to her interests became something much larger.
Cirkus worked to broaden the market’s appeal while keeping farmers and locally grown food at its center. She recruited new vendors, encouraged small businesses using local ingredients, expanded the market’s activities and helped create an atmosphere that made shopping there as much a social occasion as a weekly errand.
Her involvement in local agriculture eventually extended beyond West Windsor. She helped organize other farmers markets, co-managed the 31 & Main Farmers Market at The College of New Jersey with Beth Feehan and became involved in organizing conferences for farmers market operators.
In January 2019, she took over as manager of the historic Trenton Farmers Market on Spruce Street, succeeding Jack Ball, who had managed the operation for nearly four decades.
During her three years in Trenton, Cirkus worked to attract new vendors, improve marketing and bring customers back to the market while continuing to oversee the West Windsor operation.
She left the Trenton position in January 2022 to become a regional foods specialist for Zone 7, a Ringoes-based company that distributes locally produced food to restaurants, schools and other customers.
Through those positions, Cirkus developed an extensive network of relationships with farmers, food producers and small business owners, connections that have also benefited the West Windsor market.
Her philosophy has consistently emphasized that farmers markets should offer opportunities for small entrepreneurs to establish themselves while giving farmers a direct connection to the people buying their products.
That approach has helped businesses grow.
In a 2018 Community News interview, Mario Zeck of LoRe Pasta described how Cirkus had helped the company get established at the market and connected it with a source of locally grown grain.
“She helped us focus on local food and supporting the farmers. She even helped us find a mill that has local grain, and really helped us create our business from the beginning. She was a huge help for us,” Zeck said.
The relationship went beyond providing a place to sell pasta. For a small food business trying to establish itself, the market offered access to customers, other producers and the local agricultural community.
Those relationships have become an important part of the market’s identity, with longtime vendors returning season after season while new farmers and food businesses join the lineup.
The market’s development has also depended on the work of community volunteers. Founded by residents in 2004 and incorporated as a nonprofit, the organization is supported by a volunteer board of directors and residents who help with weekly operations, events and other activities.
Students are among those who volunteer, providing another connection between the market and the community it serves.
Over the years, the operation has expanded well beyond its original schedule.
For its first dozen seasons, the market was primarily a warm-weather destination, opening in the spring and continuing through Thanksgiving. During the winter of 2015-16, organizers introduced monthly indoor markets at the Windsor Athletic Club on Clarksville Road.
The experiment proved popular. Cirkus reported at the time that nearly 1,000 shoppers had attended the December 2015 market, demonstrating that residents wanted access to local food even after the traditional growing season ended.
The winter operation eventually moved outdoors, and the market now operates throughout the year, holding weekly Saturday markets during the main season and twice-monthly markets from December through April.
The organization has also worked to make locally grown food more accessible to residents who might otherwise have difficulty affording it.
The market began accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits around 2016 and developed a matching program that provides additional purchasing power for fruits and vegetables.
The benefit, which was $15 in 2018 and $20 in 2020, has since increased to $25. Customers using SNAP can receive a dollar-for-dollar match toward eligible fruits and vegetables, up to the daily limit.
Several participating farms also accept benefits through nutrition assistance programs for women, infants, children and seniors.
The market has also developed a longstanding relationship with the Yes, We CAN! food drive, which collects donations to benefit Arm In Arm’s food pantries. Cash contributions are used to purchase fresh food from market farmers, helping people experiencing food insecurity while supporting local agriculture.
In 2018, Cirkus reported that the market’s shoppers had helped provide more than 9,000 pounds of fresh food to people in need during the previous season.
The food drive remains a regular part of the market’s community programming.
The market’s ability to adapt was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, when organizers had to change shopping procedures, entrances and the layout of vendor stalls to meet public health requirements.
Despite those challenges, the market continued operating and providing a place for residents to purchase food directly from farmers and local producers.
Today, the selection extends well beyond traditional farmers market staples.
In addition to seasonal fruits and vegetables, shoppers can purchase freshly milled grains and flour, sourdough breads, pastured meats and eggs, cave-aged and fresh cheeses, locally produced honey, seafood, mushrooms, jams, pickles, sauces and a variety of baked goods.
Food vendors offer wood-fired pizza, sweet and savory crepes, empanadas, samosas, curries, fresh pasta and other prepared meals. Rotating New Jersey breweries, distilleries and hard cider makers have also become part of the market’s vendor lineup.
The market also welcomes craftspeople whose work complements its culinary focus, including makers of pottery, wooden bowls and kitchen utensils. A mobile sharpening service offers knife and tool sharpening.
Along with shopping, the weekly schedule features musicians, community groups, educational activities and seasonal celebrations.
Throughout the 2026 season, participating organizations have included the League of Women Voters, West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance, local environmental groups, animal rescue organizations and community food drives.
Among the upcoming activities is a performance by Alan Stein on Saturday, Oct. 17, along with participation by the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance.
A Halloween celebration is planned for Saturday, Oct. 31, featuring a costume parade at 10 a.m., music by This Old House and appearances by EASEL Animal Rescue and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance.
Local artists and craftspeople also participate through the market’s Cool-n-Airy program, which brings rotating artisans to the weekly gatherings.
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said the market’s latest recognition reflects the contributions of farmers, vendors, volunteers and shoppers.
“The West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market exemplifies how farmers markets and local agriculture can improve community health, expand food access, support agriculture, and drive economic development,” Benson said. “This national recognition is a well-deserved celebration of the farmers, vendors, volunteers, and community members who connect families in our community with fresh, healthy food. Mercer County is proud to be home to a farmers’ market that serves as such a strong example of the many ways local agriculture can make our communities stronger.”
West Windsor Township Council President Sonia Gawas said the national ranking reflects the market’s importance to the township.
“This national recognition is a testament to what makes West Windsor so special. Our Community Farmers’ Market isn’t just a place to buy fresh, local food—it is the weekly heartbeat of our municipality,” Gawas said.
“A First-Place in all of New Jersey and an 8th-Place finish across the entire United States proves that when our township rallies behind our local agricultural community, small businesses, and non-profit initiatives, we can compete on a national stage.”
Mayor Hemant Marathe also congratulated the organizers and volunteers who have helped make the market a fixture of Saturday mornings in West Windsor.
“The farmers market is one of the many things that make West Windsor a wonderful town to raise a family,” Marathe said. “I want to congratulate all members who make it a vibrant place for residents to gather on a Saturday morning for the past twenty-three years. I wish visiting the Market stays a weekly ritual for many residents for years to come.”
The market is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. during its main season, which began Saturday, May 2, and continues through November. Winter markets are held on the first and third Saturdays from December through April. The winter season begins Saturday, Dec. 5.
The market is held in the Vaughn Drive parking lot on the southbound side of the Princeton Junction train station, with vehicle access from 877 Alexander Road. Parking and admission are free, and the market is accessible by NJ Transit rail and bus service.
A complete list of vendors, activities and upcoming market dates is available at www.wwcfm.org.
