Crisp autumn air. Weekend sunshine. It’s one of the best times of year for casual strolls in NYC. At the Seaport, you can make the most of fall at this month’s outdoor market events—Hester Street Fair and Fulton Stall Market’s Saturday Outdoor Market. Here’s the 411 on both, and a taste of what to expect when you come on down to browse. 

Hester Street Fair Cool 

A feel-good vibe. A live DJ. And goods from a talented mix of passionate makers. This is Hester Street Fair, which was founded in 2010 and recently made the move to the Seaport. It’s the starting point for many creative endeavors—a great chance to catch up-and-coming artists and designers in a laidback environment. Hester Street Fair prides itself on being diverse and accessible—it’s the kind of community where, if you want to lead an impromptu meditation or get on the mic and sing, you can. 

Nat Krieger of Theobucket Vintage, which specializes in vintage print advertising and other ephemera, has been working with Hester Street on and off for four years. “What I love about Hester Street Fair is that they are so easy to work with,” he says. Also? “They have a reputation they’ve built up over the years.” The kind of reputation that got more than 5,000 people to sign a petition to save the fair when it lost its former home. The fall is the perfect time to grab a hot chocolate and enjoy a walk, says Krieger—and to browse tables like his, where hundreds of vintage items encourage fairgoers to linger and chat. 

Other vendors to look for at Hester Street Fair this fall include: 

Preppy Trendy: Ethical, sustainable fashion founded by Marie Caroline Shulman, who has been open about the challenges she’s faced as she has grown her business. 

Empanada Papa: Founded by Chef Pedro Moreira, who drew on his love for his grandma’s homemade empanadas to create his own dough, fillings and hot sauces. 

Salassan: Handmade cashmere and vintage by NYC-based French designer Michelle Blary Konate, who describes her brand as “an ongoing emotional experiment on beauty through fabric and human interactions.” 

Get Fresh at Fulton Stall Market 

Seaport-goers are already hip to Fulton Stall Market’s brick-and-mortar retail spot on South Street. Expect more of the same locally sourced deliciousness at the Saturday Outdoor Market, which takes to the historic cobblestones of Fulton Street from 11:30am–5pm, weekly through November 20. The lineup “includes local farmers and a select group of high-quality, small-batch local food producers, many women- and minority-owned, varying from week to week,” says the market’s advisor Bob Lewis. 

Swinging by this fall? Here are some of the producers—all from the city and surrounding areas—to look for, according to Lewis: 

Breezy Hill Orchard, with just-picked apples including Honeycrisp, Ginger Gold, Macoun, and Fuji, plus fresh-pressed cider, cider donuts and apple pies.

Brittle & Beyond, with plant-based gluten-free candy brittle with nuts, fruit and floral flavors.  

Mysto Mead, with unique meads made from raw NY honey, spices and herbs, including classic Elderberry and Basil Mint. 

Mushroom Queens, with specialty mushrooms and grow-at-home mushroom kits. 

Paulista Avenue Bakery, with authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread made in Queens and served hot. 

Hattwood Hot Sauce, with a range of heat for every palate and an unusually high vegetable and fruit content, all natural. 

Spicegrove Roselle, a bold crisp hibiscus ginger tea handcrafted and inspired by its founder’s Jamaica roots. 

Van Brunt Stillhouse, offering whisky and rye made from NY-grown ingredients. 

Bookmark Saturday, October 23 as a market day to remember at Fulton Stall Market: for the fourth time, Sail Freight Schooner Apollonia will deliver a variety of Hudson Valley products to Pier 16 for the day’s market—part of “a mission to revive water-borne carbon-neutral freight transportation for local farm products.” On the 23rd, the ship’s bounty will include pumpkins from Sycamore Farms, hard cider from Greenpoint Cidery, Viking & Company maple syrup, and Poor Devil Pepper Company pepper sauces. Items can be pre-ordered at Fulton Stall Market, 91 South St., or via the Apollonia’s website. 

​For more information on both markets, visit Fulton Stall Market’s website and follow Hester Street Fair’s Instagram.