Last Saturday Sarah and I headed to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market bright and early for their 170th anniversary. It was the perfect venue to hand out more of our local food maps – lots of shoppers eager to find more sources of locally produced food. After making sure the display board wouldn’t fall on us – it was a windy day – we opened shop and began handing out our map.














A crowd gathered almost immediately but, unfortunately, not solely because of the map. The farmers’ market was handing out free market bags and they proved to be a very hot commodity. I couldn’t believe the crowd that gathered around to receive the free loot so we decided to pop a copy of the map into the bags. All 1,000 bags disappeared quickly but, luckily, Sarah and I each scored one for ourselves. People kept asking us if they could have ours. It was pretty funny. Who knew people were so crazy about tote bags. Maybe we should commission some of our own…

Mayor Fred Eisenberger and city councilor Bob Bratina were on hand to open the ceremony with speeches after which spectators dove into the giant anniversary cake.
















The highlight of the day was definitely the pie-eating contest even though the idea of consuming an entire apple pie made me feel nauseous. The five participants were neck in neck but the winner managed to scarf down his last few bites first. Me congratulating him made for the perfect photo op.

















Next up, we headed down the street to the Makers’ Market in the courtyard of Christ’s Church Cathedral on James Street North. We knew a couple of the vendors and they had agreed to hand out maps for us. The market had a quaint setup with lots to offer. Up for offer were fresh vegetables, fair trade coffee, vintage items, and bike maintenance.
The crafters that were on hand with their artwork, greeting cards, and hand-sewn creations made Sarah and myself vastly inadequate in the creative talent department. Hopefully they won’t mind me buying their goods and passing them off as my own to my family and friends.

The next market is scheduled for September 15th. Do NOT miss it!

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