On weekdays, the old depot on Main Street is where Ramsey commuters catch the train. On Sundays it belongs to everybody else. Tents go up along Erie Plaza a little before nine, the coffee line starts early, and by ten the platform smells of kettle corn and warm bread.
This is a plan for a slow morning, not a big day out. Shop the market first, while the produce tables are still full. Then sit down to pancakes, or stand at a pastry counter with a cappuccino, and finish with a short loop along Main Street. It all fits into about three hours, and once you’ve parked, you won’t need the car again.
The farmers market
The Ramsey Farmers Market opened in January 2010, a joint project of the Ramsey Historical Association and the Borough. It now runs every Sunday of the year at the Main Street train station. That’s a nice bit of continuity, because trains have been stopping in Ramsey since 1848 and the depot that stands there today was built in 1868.
The market draws from a wide directory of growers, makers and food vendors, so the stalls change from week to week. Vendors must come from within 100 miles, and growers and makers who sell their own goods get first preference. You can see it in the mix.
What to browse
- Vegetables and mushrooms. Organic vegetables from Norwich Meadows Farm, fruit from Orchards of Concklin, and mushrooms from Madura Farms and Tivoli Mushrooms.
- Cheese. Valley Shepherd Creamery, Chaseholm Farm, and goat cheese from Edgwick Farm.
- Fish. Pura Vida Fisheries brings its catch from Hampton Bays on Long Island.
- Bread and pasta. Loaves from Bien Cuit and Hudson Bakery, and fresh pasta from Nicola’s Pasta Fresca.
- Something to eat right now. Pierogies from Krakus Deli, empanadas from Stella’s, momos from Sikkim Hut, falafel from Lara’s Kitchen and pretzels from Knot of This World. A bag of Uncle Bob’s Kettle Corn is for the walk.
- Odds and ends. Doc Pickle, Mishti Chocolates, flowers from Far and Away Flower Farm, coffee from BeanLuv, knife sharpening by Hudson Grinding, and food-scrap drop-off with Source Compost.
Vendors rotate, so not every name on that list turns up every week. If you’re coming for one thing in particular, check the market’s Facebook page, where it posts that Sunday’s lineup on Thursday night.
Planning your visit
Come early for the best produce; the hot-food stalls stay busy right up to closing. The market runs rain, snow or shine, except when severe weather is expected, and any change of plan goes up on its Facebook and Instagram. Bring your own bags. Some vendors accept WIC and Senior certificates. The market’s site doesn’t say which vendors take cards, so carrying a little cash is the safe bet.
Dogs are welcome, with conditions. The market asks owners to walk them before arriving, keep them on a very short leash, keep them away from the food tables, and leave them at home in hot weather.
On the market’s published October–November 2026 schedule, two dates are coming up. Oct. 25 is Chamber of Commerce Day, with a Touch-a-Truck for kids, and Nov. 15 brings a toy collection. From December through April the market keeps going, but with shorter hours, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Coffee or breakfast
Two good choices sit on East Main Street, a few minutes’ walk from the market. One is for sitting down. The other is for standing at a glass case and pointing.
Giovanna’s Cafe, 19 East Main Street
Giovanna’s has been on Main Street since 2014, and it’s the place for a proper sit-down breakfast. Breakfast is served all day, and weekends add a brunch menu. On Sundays it’s open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; it’s closed Mondays.
On the October 2025 menu still linked from its official website, pancakes are $9 ($11.50 with blueberries) and French toast is $10.95. Two farm-fresh eggs with home fries cost $8.95, and omelets run $13.95 to $14.95. If you’d rather eat on the move, an egg and cheese sandwich is $6.50, or $8.95 with bacon, sausage or Taylor ham. Coffee is $3 and a cappuccino $4.50. There are gluten-free pancakes and French toast, too. These are published menu examples; confirm current prices before ordering.
Around the corner at 4 Church Street, Giovanna’s Grab & Go is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
L’Arte della Pasticceria, 109 East Main Street
At the far end of downtown, L’Arte is an Italian pastry shop and café that opened in 2013. Its cases are full of cakes, cannoli, cookies and gelato. Sunday hours are listed as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on its official website, so it works for an early coffee or a last stop.
On the online ordering menu referenced for this guide, a 12-ounce cappuccino or latte is $5.90 and a drip coffee $3.70. A plain cornetto is $5.30; almond or chocolate, $6. For something closer to breakfast, there’s egg and cheese on a cornetto for $8.45. A large ricotta cannoli is $6.25, and a mini is $3.65.
L’Arte’s price examples come from its online ordering page and may differ at the counter or change after publication. Check the current menu before ordering.
A short walk down Main Street
Downtown Ramsey is compact. Main Street crosses the railroad at the station, and the name changes there: it’s West Main on one side of the tracks and East Main on the other. The whole loop below is about three-quarters of a mile.
One honest warning before you set out: most of the independent boutiques on Main Street are closed on Sundays. So this part of the morning is half window-shopping and half scouting for a Saturday visit. A few places do stay open, and those are the ones to plan around.
Start west. From the market, walk up to Main Street and turn left. At 55 West Main, Tawara Mart is a small Japanese market, open Sundays from 10 a.m. It sells Japanese-style breads and pastries, including melon bread, along with onigiri and ready-made meals. Village Stationers, next door at 51 West Main, is open on Sundays too. Across the street at 54 West Main, Olive 54 sells clothing and gifts. It’s closed on Sundays, but the windows are worth a look.
Cross back over the tracks. Fado, at 4 East Main, sells clothing and gifts. Past Giovanna’s, at 44 East Main, Eyes on Ramsey is an independent optician. A little farther on are Lily & Kate (66 East Main), for gifts and accessories, and Hazel Boutique (74 East Main), for clothing. All four are closed on Sundays.
Finish with something sweet. If you skipped L’Arte della Pasticceria earlier, 109 East Main is the place to stop. A few doors down at 119 East Main, Board & Brush runs DIY wood-sign workshops. Classes are by booking, so check its schedule if you want to come back for one.
One detour. With kids along, or if you just want a quiet half hour, the Ramsey Free Public Library is about a quarter mile west of the station at 30 Wyckoff Avenue. It’s listed as open noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Practical details
Getting there. The market is at the Ramsey Main Street station, at Station Plaza and Main Street. For GPS, the market uses 2 West Main Street.
Parking. NJ Transit says all three station lots are free on weekends. Weekday permit and time-limit rules vary by lot; follow the posted signs. The Main Street lot (Lot 1) is next to the market and has 8 accessible spaces. The lot at Mechanic and Prospect streets (Lot 2) has 5. The North Central Avenue lot (Lot 3) has none. No lot allows parking between 2 and 6 a.m.
Walking distances. These are approximate, measured on a map:
- Market to Giovanna’s Cafe: about 0.1 mile, 2–3 minutes
- Market to Tawara Mart: about 0.15 mile, 3–4 minutes
- Market to L’Arte della Pasticceria: about 0.25 mile, 5–6 minutes
- The full loop (market, west to Tawara Mart, east to L’Arte, back to the station): about 0.75 mile
- The library detour: about a quarter mile each way
Accessibility. NJ Transit lists Ramsey Main Street as an accessible station, and the two lots closest to the market have accessible parking. The market’s site doesn’t describe the ground surface or restroom access. If you need details, call market manager Nancy Boone at 201-675-6866.
Weather. The market goes ahead rain, snow or shine unless severe weather prompts a change, but the walk is outdoors, so dress for the day.
The route
The market sits a block south of Main Street, beside the tracks. Every stop on the loop is on Main Street, within about a five-minute walk of the station.
Open the walking map full size →
Map stops, west to east
- Tawara Mart
55 W. Main St — Sunday from 10 a.m. - Olive 54
54 W. Main St — closed Sundays - Fado
4 E. Main St — closed Sundays - Giovanna’s Cafe
19 E. Main St — Sunday 8 a.m.–3 p.m. - Eyes on Ramsey
44 E. Main St — closed Sundays - Lily & Kate
66 E. Main St — closed Sundays - Hazel Boutique
74 E. Main St — closed Sundays - L’Arte della Pasticceria
109 E. Main St — Sunday 7 a.m.–6 p.m. - Board & Brush
119 E. Main St — workshops by booking
Information checked October 2026. Hours, prices and vendor lineups change, so check with each business before you go.
Sources and photo credits
- Ramsey Farmers Market: hours, vendors, visitor rules and published event schedule.
- NJ Transit: Ramsey Main Street station, parking and accessibility.
- Giovanna’s Cafe: hours and menu links. Published October 2025 menu (PDF).
- L’Arte della Pasticceria: official Sunday hours and contact details. Ordering-menu price examples.
- Ramsey Free Public Library.
- The Local Girl: background on Ramsey restaurants and bakeries. Main Street background.
- Ramsey station background and dates.
- The supplied article’s Google Maps listings, checked October 16, 2026, informed the shop-hours notes and approximate walking distances. Opening hours can change; confirm directly before visiting.
Station photograph: Adam Moss / Wikimedia Commons (November 23, 2024), CC BY-SA 2.0; resized for web and cropped by the page layout. Coffee photograph: Kurt Kaiser, CC0. Route graphic: Around Bergen, adapted from the supplied walking guide.
