Farmers Market

Jay and I got up VERY early this morning to drive an hour to the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market. They block off a large part of downtown and it's a festive atmosphere. It goes on every Saturday through October and it features all sorts of vendors: veggies, fruits, crafts, and food. There were several Asian stands with vegetables I had never even heard of.

Looking west towards the Court House

 

Did you know that Chinese green beans are like 2 feet long? Neither did I!

This food market is four city blocks long, including the side-streets for each block. We were told to get there early as the crowds arrives quickly, and oh my goodness I am so glad we listened. The market opens at 7am and we were there by 7:15. By 9:00 when we left, it was so crowded that it was hard to see the stands (especially for someone like me on the scootermobile lol).

 Jay paying for some sweet red onions

Jay was great and opened his wallet anytime I found something I wanted to get. He never once complained, even though I'm sure he was thinking "I got up early for some vegetables?" lol. He even took one load to back to the parking ramp where we were parked since the baskets on my scooter were full. What a guy. :)

I bought the usual things like green beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon and cantaloupe, but I also found extra things like raspberries, freshly popped kettle corn, homemade dog treats, salsa, and fresh basil and parsley (I keep going to the fridge and sniffing those two items because they smell so good. LOL)

As you can see, the peanut butter dog biscuits were a hit!

Every other corner found a musician playing different songs. One couple played folk type music, one gentleman and his guitar sang oldies songs, one man had different horns and he was more of a jazzy crooner, and there was also an awesome jazz band. I loved the party type feel of the whole area.

One of the many stands full of all kinds of fresh produce, and some of the goodies we bought.

If you're ever in Des Moines on a Saturday morning, I highly recommend setting your alarm very early and going to the farmers market. We have been told that it's one of the top farmers markets in the country, and from what I have now seen, I believe it!