Log:
Excited that it was finally the weekend, I headed for the Arcata farmer’s market I had heard so much about. Before I could do that, I needed to take my bike, Sugar, to the bike library to have a tire fixed. I visited Gabe, the young volunteer who had checked my bike out to me just a few days ago. It’s really great to see kids involved in their community at such a young age. He was able to fix my tire in no time. He also loaned me a crate for the back of my bike to make my grocery shopping a little easier. I had been hearing the music at the farmer’s market the entire time Gabe worked on my bike and my curiosity was certainly building.
The market is held on the town plaza. It’s actually misleading to call it a farmer’s market, it’s more like a mini festival. Local farmers were selling food and plants, but to the jams of NAME OF BAND. People were dancing, juggling, and lounging in the sun on this gorgeous Saturday. I got some fresh greens and went to the center of the plaza to watch the drummers play. Luckily, I ran into Carlita, who secretly wanted to dance. With the help of Rosie, one of my new friends from CCAT, I was able to persuade Carlita to join us dancing in the sun in front of the band. The music was amazing as were the other dancers. People of all ages from all walks of life were feeling the beat and expressing joy through dance. I danced with an elderly woman and a two year old. When the dancing was done and the band was packing up, Rosie invited Carlita and me over for dinner at her place.
We accepted happily, assuming that she was having some sort of gathering at her place. We were a surprised and flattered to arrive to an empty apartment aside from our hostess. Rosie shared some of the most amazing food with us! She had prepared a beautiful salad from her garden, delicious potatoes, and yummy tofu. We all had a great time eating and chatting exchanging goofy stories from our pasts. We were in the middle of a conversation when the most perfect sunset sent a beam through the dining room window and we had to admire the last bits of day over the Arcata bay. I couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday.

Questions:
-How long has the Arcata farmer’s market been going on?
-How do they get bands to come?
*Either the farmers or local businesses sponsor the performances.
-MERJ market in Berea often has music. Would it be more successful at a location that was more central in Berea, such as the college quad?

Feelings:
Dancing on the plaza was exactly what I needed today. There are few activities that absolutely pull the participant into the present and dancing is one of them. There’s something so honest and joyful about dancing that makes it so special. I was able to express myself fully.