Strathcona Farmers' Market

Today my husband and I attended the Farmers' Market in Old Strathcona.  We don't have the opportunity to do it often so it was a treat to get in out of the brisk biting wind of the day to see what we could see, and taste, and purchase.

There were several fruit and vegetable stands like the fruit stand photographed above and below.  Prices are more than the supermarket in a lot of cases.  You are buying local though, so there's a trade-off.  Most of the time the produce is grown without pesticides and no wax is applied to the fruit.

 Enormous pumpkins like this one that weighed in at 110 pounds were rare but there was an abundance of gourds, cabbages, and fresh produce around.

 I wish I'd caught the lady on camera to whom this booth belongs.  She was dressed in autumn garb just as colourful as the arrangements she made using pumpkins and small mums.  

The above photo is taken to remind me where I can find poppyseed loaf.  I love the stuff so my husband purchased four.  Two for ten dollars or six dollars for a single loaf.  That's cheaper than the last poppyseed loaf I bought at a farmers' market.  Take my word for it or don't and try it yourself, it is delicious!!

This booth above was full of beautiful wood carvings.  I didn't get a close-up to do the one item justice but if you look close you will see a sphere like object with leaves carved into it.  It is very delicate and the artist informed us it was carved from one piece of wood.  This painstaking labour affords the cost of $4500!  Too rich for me but it is a beautiful marvel!

I couldn't tell if she was photographing herself or someone else!  We left shortly before the costume parade wherein the proprietors who had dressed up would parade their costumes around the entire market.  Perhaps we should have stayed longer.

 This enormous buffalo hide (or was it bison?) was on sale for $2000  What would you do with one?

 A few buskers put in performances near the entrance/exit areas.  These guys drew a crowd!

 Two women sat here spinning wool.  Due to the crowds, I could catch only one of them.  

Spinning, not a lost art after all.

 A welcome to patrons of the market!

The market is held Saturdays at the  next door to the old Walterdale Theatre just north of Whyte Avenue in Edmonton.  The building is clearly marked Old Strathcona Farmers' Market.  If you are in the area be sure to check it out.  I noticed the majority of the shoppers brought their own bags. One could likely tell we weren't regulars, as we didn't even think to bring bags with us.

I have enjoyed a few slices now of the poppyseed bread while preparing this post.  Yum!  

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Just a side note:  The haunted house/ghost tours which run temporarily this time of year meet at the stature of the fireman rescuing a young girl just outside the Walterdale Theatre which was once a firehall.