Follow-up: Oak Park Farmers' Market

As I celebrate 33 years in Oak Park during this Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, I know that the Oak Park Farmers' Market is one of many reasons for me to celebrate.  Since it concluded its 50th Season on October 25, it's fitting to follow-up from my previous post from September.

I enjoyed more of the bake sales, including the OPRFHS Female Cross-Country Team, since I've had former students on that team over the years, including this year.  The bake sales were a great way to support many organizations in the community, all the way up to the final day, when it was the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory.

Each week, I continued to see at least one person I know at the Market.  I'm not sure if I've noticed that in previous seasons, so I was glad it happened this year, and I could appreciate the community dimension of the market.

For many years, I liked going to the market to buy a pumpkin that I carved for All Saints Eve.

As we headed deep into autumn, it was delightful to buy from an abundant variety of apples, especially at Walter Skibbe's stand.

Other produce I enjoyed from the market included zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

I cut up and cooked a zucchini in the crockpot with a roast.

Toward the end of the season, I made sure to stock up on microwaveable popcorn.

One week, Mom and I went, and I made a point to linger for at least a couple of minutes to enjoy the folk band's music.

For the final day, I got in line to enjoy stone soup, a representation of the abundance at the market.

Indeed, throughout the weeks of the market, there was a bounty of farm goods and savoring of community connections.

Well done, Farmers' Market.  Congratulations on, and thanks for, this wonderful 50th Season.  I look forward to shopping again in May.

Besides my lunch, here on the table is a snapshot of what Mom and I bought at the Oak Park Farmers' Market one week.