The farmers' market, at the corner of Meridian Avenue and Kooser Road, is a staple on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Princeton Plaza for 47 weeks out of the year, providing fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, as well as baked items and other goodies. But during the last five weeks of the year, the market closes until January because the shopping center management wants the extra parking lot space for holiday shoppers.

Bernie and Pok Ward, who shop nearly every week at the market, like the straight-from-the-farm flavors of the produce.

"We come here every week," said Bernie. "We like the open market and supporting the local growers."

The Wards plan on buying some of their Thanksgiving dinner fixings at the market, although their gathering will be just three, including one of their sons, as their other boy, John, is in Tikrit, Iraq, as a member of the U.S. Army.

As for Almaden resident Mary Keaton, she is planning on picking up some persimmons for a special Thanksgiving pudding she used to have as a girl in Indiana.

"We used to pick wild persimmons," she said. "The fruit here is as close as I can get to wild."