Thursday Night Farmers' Market

First a hearty welcome to VAUGHN ARTHUR AYLWORTH, my newest descendant, born yesterday. Hey there, Vaughn-honey. Welcome to our world.

On a recent Thursday evening, my dh suggested a trip to our local Farmers' Market. Chico has a couple of them that get most folks' attention, one on Thursday evenings and a second on Saturday mornings. The Saturday market is smaller and all about the produce with local farmers and bakers competing for the public's attention and grocery dollars.

The Thursday market is more of a street fair. In fact, here is how Maggie, the protagonist in my work-in-progress MAGGIE RISING, describes it:

Until I’d started my business, and thus had committed to being home almost every evening, I had been a regular at the Thursday night Farmer’s Market. It’s one of the fun things I like most about our little ag town. It’s really more street fair than market. The Hmong farmers with their tomatoes and melons and rainbow-colored chard work side-by-side with local bands performing their own original songs, with local artisans selling hand-made soaps or candles or ceramics or tie-dye clothing, with area beekeepers offering pure honey and clean beeswax, the whole show interrupted two or three times per evening by jugglers and belly dancers. I sighed, wishing I was there and not sitting in my little house, all alone.

Poor Maggie. I almost appreciate her plight when the market is as crowded as it was last Thursday. People were shoulder-to-shoulder and we almost couldn't move without bumping into the folks around us. (Have I mentioned I don't like crowds?)

Still, if you're in Chico on a Thursday evening, the downtown Farmers' Market is the place to be.

We found some gorgeous, rich red tomatoes all ready for turning into Toe Jam (scrumptious Tomato Jam) and spicy ToeJam. Green bell peppers, ancho chilis and jalapenos will become jelly in no time flat. We also picked up some veggies for the table: greens, green beans, green onions -- a very 'green' evening in all.

Maggie has a point about the Thursday night market. If you're ever in Chico, stop by!