I love visiting medieval or renaissance fairs where cooked food is served, music plays and the local farmers sell their produce. People wander around in strange costumes and talk about the affairs of the day or play games. These fairs were popular in the Seattle area twenty-five years.
I think the historical fair has been replaced or maybe revived in a new form called the Farmer’s Market. This past weekend at the marked I got my book display set up then eased into my chair to wait for customers to come talk about books, words, grammar and commas. Commas are always a hot topic.
I closed my eyes in the early morning sun and thought about what I might buy for lunch a croissant? Perhaps some smoked salmon? I could get a carton of strawberries.
In a corner stall, a rock band tuned their instruments. A little girl with pink hair and a tutu passed my stall carrying a stuffed dinosaur. I sat up and focused on the sights, sounds and smells around me. I grabbed my iphone and set out to capture the fun. Come with me now, and visit our modern day market fair.
I think the historical fair has been replaced or maybe revived in a new form called the Farmer’s Market. This past weekend at the marked I got my book display set up then eased into my chair to wait for customers to come talk about books, words, grammar and commas. Commas are always a hot topic.
I closed my eyes in the early morning sun and thought about what I might buy for lunch a croissant? Perhaps some smoked salmon? I could get a carton of strawberries.
In a corner stall, a rock band tuned their instruments. A little girl with pink hair and a tutu passed my stall carrying a stuffed dinosaur. I sat up and focused on the sights, sounds and smells around me. I grabbed my iphone and set out to capture the fun. Come with me now, and visit our modern day market fair.
Localvore Lit is my book booth. About thirty local authors have books here. In this photo Marilyn Cochran is talking to a customer about her Dachshund Tails book. Her eight Dachshunds have many adventures and love to write about them in a series of books about heroic rescues or a trip down the Yukon in a canoe.
At the book booth we offer free samples where a customer can pick up a book and read a page or two. Lots of venders have free samples. Adults can get a taste of beer, hard cider, and wine. The chocolate and caramel booths have free samples as do the goat cheese booths. The strawberry sellers will let you taste one berry knowing that if you taste, you will buy. The flower seller will let small children carry home a free bloom.
Patty's is the most popular booth at the fair. Her tamalis are everybody's favorite on our island and they are inexpensive.
The fishmonger has the big coolers. They have fresh local fish, Columbia River fish, and fish flown down from their boats in Alaska. This is where I get my fish fix.
The morning sun on these strawberries makes my mouth water. These are a repeat bearing variety so they are fresh from the field here.
The rock band is setting up. We also have folk, country, and classical music. Sometimes a violin class will come play for us.
Even the common potato is pretty with the morning sun on it.
What market would be complete without caramels. I have to get something here every week.
These onions look so perfect.
Of course the market needs a little hard cider. This cider is made from a blend of apples.
People who can make beauty out of common things amaze me. This jewelry is all made from seed pods.
Goats are a big industry on Vashon Island. Harbor Home Farm is just one of our goat farms. We are also the home base for Rent a Ruminant, goats for land clearing.
Calico Gardens flower sellers are at the market. This is my business partner showing off her dahlias. She has started breeding her own flowers for features that make good cut flowers in the Northwest.
Goat cheese with strawberries. This is so pretty and tempting.
Beer. This craft beer is very popular.
The veggies are beautiful. We have lots of local farms. Some produce year round in hoop houses.
Yes, stacked rocks. I have to stare at these every week. I think there is something peaceful and soothing about the rock forms.
And the chocolate. We must have chocolate and this is good chocolate.
And the pickles! These are fantastic pickles and relishes.
The vegetable sellers will sell out after about four hours. If there are leftovers they often get sent to the local nursing home. It's good to know our seniors are eating fresh organically grown veggies.
My favorite jeweler at the market. I have some of her work and hope to buy more.
Kombucha is a fermented tea that has lots of beneficial organisms in it. This is a new vendor at the market.
More herbs and pretty green veggies. I love the art the farmers use to display their products.
This goat cheese is particularly tasty.
The cultured cashew butter is something I'd never heard of before Chelo came to the market. This is a place to get free samples.
These people are busy all day on Saturday. I stopped by at the end of the day to find they had a few carrots and not much else left. Islanders love the fresh organic produce.
And this brings us back to the book booth. We have both children and adult fiction. Non-fiction takes up another whole table. We occasionally feature one of our authors and have signings and the occasional reading.
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