Sunshine drenches sunflowers Saturday morning at the Faribault Farmers’ Market.
BRILLIANT SUNSHINE SLICED sharp angles into the morning. Not ideal for photography. But a perfect morning for Family Day at the Faribault Farmers’ Market. It was a pull your jacket around you in the shade and remove it in the sunshine type of early autumn Saturday morning.
All ages flocked to the market for Family Day.
Music adds to the festive feel of the event.
Attendees could learn about bees.
And then purchase a jar of beautiful honey.
These colorful hats would brighten any Minnesota winter day.
And the crowd was in an almost festive mood as a piccolo played, bees buzzed, friends chatted and vendors displayed garden fresh produce, handcrafted items, baked goods and more. Shoppers could sample local honey smeared on graham crackers, homemade yogurt, apple slices and other goods as they meandered the northern and western perimeters of Central Park.
Kids loved the goats…
…but were more cautious around the cattle.
Plus, the kids (and adults) could pet goats and Red Angus and Hereford cattle.
Freebies and samples.
I love events like this geared toward families. From my observations, Family Day was a success. I frequent the Faribault Farmers’ Market. And never have I seen so many kids there. Several vendors remarked the same, expressing their appreciation for the number of folks who scoped out the market, many likely for the first time.
Folks waited in line for these cupcakes.
Kids also waited to get their faces painted. Proceeds benefited four Faribault High School football players injured in a serious crash last week.
To me it seems a no-brainer, to offer activities for young families. Twice a month would be good. A line queued for face-painting and for Bluebird Cakery cupcakes. Grandmas strolled hand-in-hand with granddaughters. Kids poked sticks and grass at goats. Shoppers snagged reusable cloth bags from Rice County Public Health and other info from the University of Minnesota Extension Services and the Faribault Chamber of Commerce.
A mom and her young daughters sell gladiolus through their business, The Three Glad Girls.
An example of the goat soap crafted at Whispering Creek Farm, rural Morristown.
Produce abounds this time of year.
Our youth need this interactive connection to animals and the land, to those who grow and raise our food. They need to meet the hardworking individuals who tend plants and animals and the creative types who craft with their hands and hold dear those skills.
A perfect hot pad for the season.
And now with harvest peaking, it’s the ideal time to showcase our local farmers’ market often and creatively with family-geared activities. A straw bale maze. Build a scarecrow. Pumpkin ring toss. The ideas are only limited by creativity and willing volunteers.
A musician plays her accordion at the market.
I’d like to hear your thoughts and suggestions on activities for families at a farmers’ market.
BONUS PHOTOS:
Peppers pop color and heat into the marketplace.
Vendors are still selling sweetcorn.
This jar of veggies carries the perfect name, “Summer in a Jar.”
Ears of colorful Indian corn are beginning to show up in vendors’ offerings.
A vendor cradles a dog.
According to several vendors, the tomatoes were not that great this growing season. However, an abundance of them is available at the market.
Zinnias, my favorite cut, easy-to-grow garden flowers.
FYI: The Faribault Farmers’ Market is open seasonally from 1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Wednesdays and from 7 a.m. – noon on Saturdays in Central Park near downtown. You’ll find lots of other offerings, like jewelry, baked goods, wood crafts, and more, in addition to what I’ve showcased here in words and images.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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