Vendors, Music & Activities for August 12

It’s National Farmers Market Week!

We’ll be celebrating in our usual fashion with a free cooking demo that’s open to everyone. This year’s guest chef is Andrew Larson of Twigs Bistro in downtown Spokane. Andrew’s going to be preparing two tasty recipes—blueberry cucumber salad and corn soup— using fresh market ingredients. Thanks to the Washington State Farmers Market Association, we’ll be handing out free accompanying recipe cards so you can easily prepare these dishes at home.

Spokane Public Library is joining us again this week for storytime and a free family-oriented craft activity. They’ll be reading Farmers’ Market Day by Shanda Trent, On the Farm, At the Market by G. Brian Karas, and Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Frances Cony. These storytime and singalong events are great for young children – so parents, please come down with the family in tow for some great fun and games. Bring their friends and make a playdate out of it!

And that’s not all we have for kids this week. The free KERNEL activity will be market bingo. Kids will get a bingo sheet that they’ll complete with our vendors’ help. As always, KERNEL participants will get $2 in KERNEL cash for spending on fresh fruit and veggies once they’ve completed the activity.

Oh, and we haven’t forgotten that adults like free stuff too. At 6pm we’ll be holding a drawing for several copies of Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day, Leanne Brown’s award-winning, full-color cookbook that is brimming with affordable, easy-to-prepare and delicious recipes. Just be sure you’ve entered your name and contact info in the jar at the market booth before the drawing.

Plus you can get some priceless (and free) advice from the Spokane County Master Gardener Program volunteers, who will have a booth at today’s market. Got pests in your garden? Veggies not producing like they should? Wondering how to even start a backyard garden? The master gardeners can help. Pick their brains and take advantage of their extensive knowledge on all things green. They’ll also have a display on pulses—that is, peas, legumes, lentils—in honor of the International Year of Pulses.

Singer-songwriters Megan Harper & Mikayla Mandere are our musicians this week. It’s their first time playing at our market, so we’re excited to see what’s in store.

Here are all the vendors who are currently scheduled to join us today:

Produce

  • Song Sparrow Farms: Fresh, locally grown produce, including melons. Also does a CSA.
  • The Farm Yard: Neighborhood-grown fruits and vegetables. Some craft items.
  • Woodard Family Farms: A variety of locally grown produce.
  • R.P. Guerrero: Organic tree fruit and more from the Quincy area.
  • Vladimir Kuzmenko: A wide variety of co-op produce from across Washington State.
  • Riverfront Farm (Project Hope): Neighborhood-grown, scattered-site produce.
  • The Father’s Table: Neighborhood-grown produce.
  • Berry Basics: A wide variety of local produce with an emphasis on berries.
  • Where the Wild Things Grow: Wild-harvested fruit.
  • Other vendors also sell homegrown produce alongside their primary goods.

Meat & Honey

Baked Goods

Prepared

  • Simply Sweets: Baklava, soft brittles, truffles, mints and seasonal products.
  • D’s Roasted Nuts: German-style roasted nuts with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar.

Non-food

  • Eco-wise: Perennials and landscaping plants.
  • Heeling Hands Massage Therapy: Licensed chair massage and whole-body wellness.
  • Soap Simply: Handcrafted olive oil soap.
  • Mary Beauregard: Plastic canvas needlepoint.
  • KC Creations: Original photography, greeting cards, beaded earrings and other beaded items.
  • Urban Settlements: Spokane-based real-estate opportunities and guidance.

Feel free to RSVP to this week’s market at its event page on Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you there!