Saturday Market #33: Goodbye Park Blocks, Hello Fairgrounds!

Here's more than I can tell you about last Saturday, the final Market of the outdoor season. I'll let the pictures tell the thousand words, since I've little time for blogging this week:



Little time because we are busy getting this giant empty room



transformed



into the magical land of Holiday Market!

Starts tomorrow morning, runs weekends through Christmas Eve. Come and see! See you there...

Saturday Market #32: It's Still Worth Showing Up

The prospect of spending a day outside in November in Oregon doesn't seem all that enticing. When it's raining on the way in from home, even less so. But even on a damp November Saturday, there are sweet surprises that make it all worth while. For me Saturday's magic centered around three things.

Thing 1: The weather! Again we were so lucky. It stopped raining before 10 and was dry and even sunny for a while, and near enough to warm to abandon most layers for most of the day. Also, the colors...


Thing 2: My fellow Marketeers and Market-goers. Saturday there was a giddy mood on the Park Blocks. Part we're-getting-away-with-a-gorgeous-day-so-late-in-the-year, part school's-almost-out. The pace is slow, but in a pleasant, relaxed, enjoying each others' company way.


Thing 3: Grace Mitchell. Since year one of Grrrlz Rock, we've hosted various acts on the stage in November. Since I trust the Grrrlz Rock gang, I let them send me acts that I'm not always familiar with. I was happy to see Grace Mitchell would be showing up. I'd heard about her, and being fellow Cottage Grovians I knew she plays a lot in the Grove but never managed to see her. Now I know why I've heard about her. She completely wowed all of us. She's just turned thirteen, is entirely comfortable on stage, writes great songs, has a gorgeous voice and a fresh engaging style. It's a real treat to watch both the performer and the audience when everybody is "discovering" each other at a first Market gig.


This coming Saturday is our last one on the Park Blocks, always one I look forward to whatever the weather's like when I'm driving in. Besides just wrapping it up to head for the great indoors, I look forward to our big group scream at the end of the day. This time I'm also looking forward to the last band, Natty O, led by Jerry Leff who always recruits a great group to play with him. I hear another popular young singer, Savanna Coen, will be joining in, and who knows who else. It'll be fun no matter what. See you there!

Saturday Market #31: Creative People = Creative Costumes

I always love it when Halloween is close to a Market Day. Creative people make creative costumes! There are a couple of food booths that play dress up spontaneously, even on random Saturdays, so I always expect great things from Bangkok Grill and Dana's Cheesecake. They did not disappoint!

Here's Dru at Bangkok Grill, jauntily ready for the Tour de France circa 1880 or so.

The Dana's Cheesecake Crew also steps up, with a cougar in tiger's clothing, a raccoon and Rosie the Riveter!




Diane is Mad as a Wet Hen (good thing it didn't rain much!)


My neighbors Dotti and Amethyst were a sweet pair of Harlequins.


But my favorites of the day, Chris and Elaine (our most stalwart customers) came as Bed Bugs. Their shirts say "Sleeps Well With Others," and the signs on their backs "looking for a home."



There are lots of other great costumes and other Halloween treats over on our Flickr stream: www.flickr.com/photos/eugenesaturdaymarket. Go have a peek!

Two more outdoor Saturdays left before Holiday Market, so come and enjoy the day with us in our native habitat, the great outdoors! See you there...