02
Jul
Market Review July 1
By Paul Bullock & Mary Gates
We wake up early in order to set up for the Market. As I turned on the kitchen lights for coffee time, the thunder began to rumble, then the rain began to pour down like a tropical storm. I am sure every vendor began looking at the radar model that would give us a clue as to whether or not we had a rain out. It is kind of like a baseball game waiting for the storm to pass so we can hear the umpire call “Play Ball”. And play ball we did! The storm moved on and the vendors who were waiting in their vehicles hit the LHUCA Plaza with a sense of urgency. Our get ready time was crunched down to about an hour, so there was certainly a faster pace to set up. We put up our canopies, set up our displays, and we were ready as the first shoppers showed up promptly at 9:00 am. And they didn’t stop coming! People filled the Plaza and made our July 1st Market a huge day for all.
The overcast sky made for a very pleasant morning. The area dried up quickly, and it was one of the best Markets of the year in my opinion. The rainy weather and the holiday weekend brought the number of vendors down a little, but the number of shoppers was equal to any of our Markets, and that made business good for the vendors who did show up. The cloudy skies stayed with us throughout the day, which set the tone as people acknowledged the comfort of the cool weather. Lots of smiles come out when it rains! Vendors and shoppers exchange stories. There are questions and answers about the businesses that make the Market a special place to visit. It really is a great place to visit and explore for an hour or two on a Saturday morning. A quick conversation and a sale introduced me to a visitor from Long Beach, CA, and I couldn’t help but think of the stories she will tell her friends about the Lubbock Downtown Farmers Market experience. Our hope is that each and every shopper or observing visitor will have nice things to say about their time at the Market.
As the summer progresses, our vendors are bringing in more farm fresh produce to choose from. Our arts and crafts vendors are consistently doing well as do our bakers and salsa makers. We have such a wide variety of goods and services to offer, and we hope you will come to see and support these small business owners.
We always have lots of dogs that grace the Plaza. I find myself doing a lot of dog watching at the Market and this week Lucy caught our attention and owns the title of Tornado Industrial/Arts Dog of the Day. Atta girl Lucy! This award is presented to show our appreciation to all of the people who bring their pets, which makes everybody enjoy the Market just a little more. We are hopeful that the word will spread as we serve Lubbock and the surrounding area through the summer and fall months from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm every Saturday at 5th and Ave. J in the Plaza at LHUCA.
For our highlighted vendor of the week, we’d like to introduce you to a unique couple, Veronika and Gilbert Pitkoff with AUNTY VEEZ’S COOKIES JAR CONSPIRACY.They lived in Washington State for many years, working as health care workers. Upon retiring a couple of years ago, they sold their home, took what they could fit in their car, and traveled around the United States. As they looked for their next place to live, they decided they liked it here and have settled in Lubbock! They offer different cookies & sweet breads that are made in a healthier way. Some are wheat/soy/nut/dairy free for those with dietary restrictions. Made with organic ingredients when possible, and as little sugar as possible, there is something for everyone on the table. Their choices include almond biscotti, browned butter banana bread made with Turkish spices, a sandwich cookie w/coffee/chocolate filling, Cowboy cookies, and Anzac, a coconut cookie recipe that hails from WWII. It is made without eggs so to have a longer shelf life (and its so good!). They even roast coffee beans the old fashioned way…over a fire in a cast iron skillet, and offer those for sale. Come down and get a sample! The conspiracy is that these are tasty treats that are better for you, and that you’ll want more of!