How much of the new MarketFair can you actually walk into this fall? In March, the mall's owner announced five new tenants totaling more than 41,000 square feet, along with a $5 million multi-year investment in the property. By mid-October, two of those five had opened. A sixth restaurant, announced separately, still has a "coming soon" sign up.
That leaves a busy holiday calendar running inside a building that is only partly finished. The clearest view of it comes on Saturday, November 21. That morning, the West Windsor Community Farmers' Market holds the last Saturday of its main season at Princeton Junction. That evening, MarketFair holds its Tree Lighting Extravaganza. Below is where the makeover actually stands, what has changed on the other side of Route 1, and the dates through December.
The Scorecard, as of October 13, 2026
When the owner announced the tenant lineup on March 9, it gave a season for each opening. Here is how those targets compare with what the mall's own "Something New" page and directory say today.
| Tenant | Announced target | Status now | Where in the mall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warby Parker | Spring 2026 | Open; NJBIZ reported a March 28 opening date | Near Anthropologie |
| sweetgreen | Summer 2026 | Open; grand opening was set for September 19 | Next to Barnes & Noble |
| OFFLINE by Aerie | Winter 2026 | Coming soon | Not yet listed |
| Kohler Co. | Winter 2026 | Coming soon | Near Lovesac |
| LaScala's Fire | Winter 2026 | Coming soon | By Seasons 52 |
| Federal Donuts & Chicken | Spring 2026, per Patch | Opening soon | Next to Barnes & Noble |
None of the four unopened tenants has posted a newer date. The mall's current pages say "coming soon" and nothing more. Until a business announces an actual day, that is the most anyone can say about them.
What Opened Kept to Its Schedule
The two tenants that are open both came in close to the dates the owner had projected.
Warby Parker went first. NJBIZ reported that the store was scheduled to open March 28, which fit the spring window. The company's own store locator now lists the MarketFair shop at 3535 US Route 1, with posted hours and eye-exam appointments.
sweetgreen arrived at the tail end of its summer window. Patch reported on September 18 that the restaurant would open the next day, Saturday, September 19, in Suite 466. The space is next to Barnes & Noble.
The modernization work that came before both of them is the part of the plan visitors have had the longest. Eddie V's Prime Seafood opened in June 2025 and anchors the renovated south-end corridor. According to the owner, that corridor and the main south entrance received new exterior and interior finishes, green walls, a skylight, new furnishings and monument signage. The plan for 2026 also listed curb-access and ADA improvements across the property, more efficient lighting and HVAC, soft seating and plantscaping.
Three Winter Targets and One Spring Target Have Passed
The tenants still to come would bring the biggest change to how MarketFair gets used, especially at dinnertime.
LaScala's Fire is the largest. MarketFair's March announcement described a 9,552-square-foot space with indoor seating and an outdoor patio. MarketFair describes the concept as modern Italian with wood-fired pizzas, handmade pastas and fresh seafood, and places it by Seasons 52. The March announcement said winter 2026. A Princeton Info roundup on March 18 said it was expected to open later this year. The mall's store page still says coming soon.
Federal Donuts & Chicken was announced on its own, separate from the March five, for a space next to Barnes & Noble. Patch reported in February that no date had been set and that the restaurant was expected to open in the spring. Spring has passed, and the mall's page still reads "OPENING SOON!" Once both restaurants open, that end of the mall will have Federal Donuts and sweetgreen side by side beside the bookstore.
Kohler Co. will be a showroom for kitchen and bath products, cabinetry, tile and lighting near Lovesac. OFFLINE by Aerie will sell activewear. The March announcement gave both a winter 2026 target, and both are still listed as coming soon.
Across Route 1, the Fall's Firmest Opening
The most definite new arrival on West Windsor's stretch of Route 1 this fall is across the highway from MarketFair.
94.5 PST reported that Chick-fil-A Princeton, at 3497 Brunswick Pike, would open Friday, September 25. The restaurant sits off Route 1 South, behind the Wawa and next to the Windsor Green Shopping Center, home of Whole Foods Market. It had first planned to open on Thursday, September 17, and pushed the date back the day before. The station said the reason for the delay was not known. In other words, even a new freestanding building was a week late. Opening dates along this corridor have tended to slip.
The other big Route 1 announcement this year is for later. In June, Wayfair said it plans a store of roughly 135,000 square feet at Nassau Park Pavilion, expected to open in 2027. It will not be part of this year's holiday shopping.
The Calendar Through December
Here are the dated events in and around West Windsor between now and the end of the year.
- Tuesday, October 20 to Friday, December 18: "Share the Warmth" at MarketFair.
- Friday, October 23, 5 to 7:30 p.m.: Mercer County Park Commission's Trunk or Treat at the Mercer County Park Festival Grounds, 1638 Old Trenton Road, with pumpkin painting, hayrides, games and music.
- Saturday, October 24: The township's Halloween at Historic Schenck Farmstead, 50 Southfield Road, with a free Trunk or Treat from 2 to 4 p.m. and the Red, White & BOO! scarecrow competition. MarketFair's Diwali event is the same day.
- Saturday, October 31, noon to 2 p.m.: MarketFair's Halloween Spooktacular, with trick-or-treating, crafts, vendors, pumpkin decorating, face painting and character meet-and-greets.
- Friday, November 20 to Thursday, December 24: MarketFair's Merry Reindeer Stable.
- Saturday, November 21: The farmers market's last main-season Saturday, MarketFair's Tree Lighting Extravaganza, and the first day of Santa photos, which run through December 25.
- Monday, November 23: Pet Photos with Santa at MarketFair.
- Friday, November 27: Cookies & Coats at MarketFair.
- Saturdays, December 5 and 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Winter farmers market dates.
Why November 21 Is the Date to Watch
Several of these events land on the same day, and that shows where the makeover will be when the holiday season starts.
The West Windsor Community Farmers' Market has run Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. since May 2, and its main season ends November 21. It meets year-round in the Lower Vaughn Lot at Princeton Junction station, with the entrance at 877 Alexander Road. After that Saturday, the market moves to two winter dates, each starting an hour later and running to 1 p.m.
That same evening, MarketFair lights its tree with Santa photos starting and the Reindeer Stable already open. Anyone who goes will see Warby Parker and sweetgreen open, along with the renovated south-end corridor around Eddie V's. They will also see four announced tenants that, as of today, have not posted opening dates.
Those four storefronts are the part of the makeover still to come. By Thanksgiving week, the scorecard above will either have changed or show four openings pushed past a second season.
If you are thinking about how the changes on this stretch of Route 1 affect what your own West Windsor home is worth, Maura Mills follows these openings closely. She can walk you through what they may mean for your street. Request a Personalized Consultation.
