October Riverview Roundup: Rainy Sundays, Day of the Dead Prep, & Upcoming Events

Welcome back to another issue of the Riverview roundup. A lot has happened since our last roundup, and honestly we’ve had to weather some literal storms.

While we had every intention of hosting our annual Fall Harvest Festival in September, we ultimately had to make the tough call to cancel the event due to…

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Is it possible for every consecutive Sunday to have rain? We didn’t expect this to happen. Five weeks of rainy Sundays in a row came to pass. We had no choice.

When it comes to rain, we usually regard it as a minor inconvenience. Unless the weather is especially bad, like thunderstorms or damaging winds, the market still runs even with a limited footprint. We understand how important it is for our neighborhood to have access sustainable and fresh produce. The same way it’s important for our vendors to have a place to sell their goods to support their livelihoods.

Those five rainy Sundays in a row were rough. There’s no other way to say it.

We want to thank all our vendors for sticking it out and still showing up. These guys are troopers, and we couldn’t be happier to have them selling their items here. We also want to thank our customers for popping up and showing your support even in the rain. We could see your dedication carrying bags full of goods in the middle of the downpour!

The weather made the Fall Harvest Festival untenable this year. However, though we may miss out on one event, we still have the Day of the Dead festival to look forward to!

The Ofrenda and Day of the Dead

On October 29, we will unveil our Ofrenda at the Riverview Fisk Park Gazebo at 6:30 p.m.. We host this tradition each year so the Heights community can come to honor their dearly departed loved ones and it kicks off our annual Day of the Dead event weekend.

This year’s 12th annual Day of The Dead festival will be held on November 1, complete with live mariachi, customary folkloric dancers, and a La Catrina Costume Contest. But the most coveted and unique part of this event is the giant skeleton parade.

Directed by local Mexican-American artist Santiago Cohen, the parade invites the public to join together holding skeleton “puppets,” and march through the streets to honor the dead. This year’s parade will be expanded exponentially, navigating up to Central Avenue and back to the park thanks to a partnership with the Central Avenue Special Improvement District.

Día de los Muertos is our biggest event each year and everyone is invited to join us as we honor lost loved ones as a community.

New Items & Upcoming events

As Fall starts to settle in and the winter season inches closer, our vendors have been cooking some devilishly delicious food for you to try out.

The Pumpkin Bagels from Little Bagel are definitely one item that should be on your must-try list. Little Bagel’s latest seasonal offering gets us into the Halloween spirit, and they even offer a special pumpkin pie cream cheese to go with them!

We also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Jersey Pickles, one of our long-time vendors at the market, for recently opening a storefront in Hackensack! Don’t want to wait until Sundays for fresh pickles? Grab directions to their new location here.

Also upcoming is the 5th annual Heights Holiday Market on Saturday, December 5. This year we’re shaping up to host more than 200 vendors in Riverview Park, from art and stationary goods, festive food, vintage, jewelry, and more! Patrons can also expect free musical performers and fun activities like seasonal photo booths. If you’re interested in participating in this special event, you can fill out a vendor application here or email ma*******@********************et.org regarding sponsorship opportunities.