On the night of October 30, the fifth annual Stangl Witch Walk drew more than 5,000 visitors to Flemington. They came for food vendors, Within Spirit's Moon Market, pop-up bars, carnival games run by local businesses, a haunted house and a local band. The longest line that night was for a restaurant that had not opened yet. Stangl Factory Kitchen was serving the public for the first time, and according to the Flemington Improvement District, "the line to order stretched all the way down the street."
That line formed at the Stangl Factory, about a mile from the hotel ribbon cutting that drew the borough's biggest crowd of the year. This season the new businesses are spread across the town. The district divides Flemington into three commercial areas: Historic Main Street, the Stangl Arts & Cultural District and the Circle Shopping District. This fall each of the three gained a new anchor, and each anchor keeps a different part of the day. On Small Business Saturday a trolley will run between all three.
The Line on Stangl Road
The factory behind the Witch Walk was built in 1924 by Fulper Pottery and made Stangl dinnerware until 1935, when production moved to the company's larger plant in Trenton. That history is told in an article on the Stangl Pottery site. The district now calls this area Flemington's creative hub, built around the pottery's legacy. In 2025 the National Trust for Historic Preservation described the complex as an art gallery, a pottery studio and a weekly farmers' market. Alkemy Coffee Co. has been inside since April 2024.
Stangl Factory Kitchen is the newest tenant. Chef Lance Knowling describes the concept as his own style of comfort food plus Kansas City barbecue. Plans call for a 60-seat dining room, a private dining room and a 40-seat patio for the warmer months. The ribbon cutting is Thursday, November 19, at 4 p.m., one week after this post goes up. The event runs until 9 p.m., and the district expects reservations to fill quickly.
The kitchen gives the Stangl district something it has not had in this form: a sit-down dinner reason to stay after the Saturday market closes. The Stangl Market runs indoors on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Main Street's Anchor Has Its Lights On Again
The Union Hotel has been closed for every holiday season since 2015. That ended September 15, when the hotel officially reopened. The day before, a crowd of about 300 spilled into Main Street for the ribbon cutting, TAPinto Flemington/Raritan reported. Businessman Neal Hart built the original hotel in 1814 as a stagecoach stop. Local developer Jack Cust won borough approval to redevelop the site in 2020. Concord Hospitality now runs it as part of Marriott's Tribute Portfolio, with 105 rooms and 20,000 square feet of retail and conference space.
At the ceremony, Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce president Chris Phelan pointed out that the Chamber was founded in 1916 in the building that now houses Jersey Prime Steakhouse. "Today is a story about perseverance," he said, in remarks reported by TAPinto.
With the hotel open, Main Street now has a dining room that opens for breakfast and a lounge that stays open until midnight on weekends:
| Outlet | Days | Posted hours |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey Prime Steakhouse, breakfast | Daily | 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. |
| Jersey Prime Steakhouse, dinner | Sunday to Thursday | 4 to 9 p.m. |
| Jersey Prime Steakhouse, dinner | Friday and Saturday | 4 to 10 p.m. |
| Jersey Prime bar | Monday to Saturday | 4 to 11 p.m. |
| Jersey Prime bar | Sunday | 4 to 10 p.m. |
| JP's Lounge | Tuesday to Thursday | 5 to 11 p.m. |
| JP's Lounge | Friday and Saturday | 5 p.m. to midnight |
| JP's Lounge | Sunday | 5 to 10 p.m.; closed Monday |
The hours above come from the hotel's dining page. TAPinto's opening coverage called the lounge JP's Speakeasy. A third venue, Fieldhouse Social, was described by WRNJ as a sports bar with duckpin bowling, golf simulators, darts and shuffleboard.
A few doors away, Mahj on Main NJ brings something new to 120 Main Street: a mahjong lounge with private rooms and a boutique that sells sets, tiles and accessories. It is Karen Shankoff's third business, and the district calendar set its grand opening for November 10 at 4:30 p.m.
The Circle Takes the Earliest Shift
The Circle Shopping District is the practical side of town. The district describes it as a loop of everyday retail, food, fitness, beauty and wellness businesses, with addresses running along Reaville Avenue, Route 31 and Highway 202. Its new arrival is Perkins Griddle & Go, a fast-casual breakfast concept at The Shoppes at Flemington, 100 Reaville Avenue. The district set its ribbon cutting for November 5 and listed daily hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
By posted hours, the Circle opens first, at 6 a.m. The Stangl Market runs through the late morning. Main Street carries the evening, with the lounge open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
November 28: One Trolley, Three Stops
On Small Business Saturday the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce will run Santa Trolley Rides from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They start at the Chamber's office, 119 Main Street. The district's listing promises a visit with Santa and rides "between Flemington's 3 districts." Here is one way to spend the day using posted hours alone:
- Before 10 a.m., the Circle. Perkins Griddle & Go lists a 6 a.m. opening at 100 Reaville Avenue, hours before the trolley starts running.
- 10 a.m., Main Street. Board at 119 Main Street, where Santa rides along.
- Late morning, Stangl. The indoor Stangl Market is scheduled to run until 2 p.m. on Small Business Saturday. Alkemy Coffee Co. is in the same building.
- By 3 p.m., back on Main Street. The last trolley runs at 3, and dinner at Jersey Prime starts at 4.
- After 5 p.m. JP's Lounge opens and stays open until midnight on Saturdays.
This is the first holiday season in which a trolley stop on Main Street puts riders a few doors from an open Union Hotel.
The Rest of the Calendar Around It
The trolley sits in the middle of a busy two weeks in Flemington:
- Thursday, November 26. The Annual Turkey Trot, presented by CEA and Johanna Farms, starts at 9:30 a.m. from Court Street Park, 43 Park Avenue. Runners choose a 5K or a two-mile fitness run, and all proceeds go to the Center for Educational Advancement, which supports career paths and jobs for people with disabilities.
- Saturday, November 28. Santa Trolley Rides, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., from 119 Main Street.
- Saturday, December 5. The Hunterdon Holiday Parade, hosted by the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, fills Main Street from 5 to 7 p.m. with marching bands, community floats and Santa.
- Tuesday, December 8. A menorah lighting at ShopRite of Flemington at 4 p.m., one of several Hanukkah lightings across Hunterdon listed by TAPinto North Hunterdon.
On parade night, Clinton Township hosts its first "A Celebration of Lights" up Route 31. It runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the municipal building, 1370 Route 31 North in Annandale, with a tree and menorah lighting, Santa, crafts and music. The parade ends on Main Street at 7, while Jersey Prime keeps serving until 10 on Saturdays.
At B&B Luxury Properties, we follow Hunterdon's county seat closely, from the Stangl Factory's kilns to the reopened Union Hotel. If you're weighing a home within walking distance of Main Street or a farm a short drive from the Circle, we'd be glad to talk it through. Request a private consultation.
