Fresh is the Word

Shopping at Urbana's Market at the Square means you, the patron and customer, recieve the freshest of the fresh in terms of produce, meats, cheeses and more.  Fresh, local food not only is beneficial to your health, but it helps the local economy and communities.

In terms of fresh, this weekend has got it going on.  Here is why:

Fresh produce:  Plan to find some amazingly fresh greens, beans, squash, pumpkins, apples, sweetcorn, eggplant, herbs and more.

Fresh air:  The Market is outdoors with plenty of room to wander down FIVE rows of vendor spaces.  If you're in the mood for baked goods - we've got your covered.  If it's your mother's birthday and you have yet to buy her a present - our talented, local artists have the PERFECT gift.  If you're new to the area and want to learn more about community organizations and local non-profits - visit ROW 5!

Fresh beats:  The Market is going to be HOPPING this weekend with fresh beats by The Turinos and Art at the Market.

• The Turinos, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Son and father duo Matt and Tom Turino have been performing old-time, Cajun, and country blues music as well as their original tunes and songs on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and button accordions throughout the Midwest and Upper South over the last ten years. Currently they also play with the Cornstalkers Cajun Band, the U-Four String Band; Matt performs with the Mean Lids; and Tom performs Andean Music with the Hathaways. They have been regulars at the Urbana Farmer's Market since Matt was ten. Listen to their music online on their Myspace.
• Design Eco-Friendly Cloth Napkins with Traci Pines, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PMMake the switch: Ditch your paper napkins for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Go green and cut down on household expenses by cutting your use of paper napkins. Use stamps, markers, and fabric paints to make your very own custom designed and eco-friendly cloth napkins to use at your next family meal and even in your school lunch!!

And if you're still not convinced that the Market is where fresh is at...then let these photos convince you:

See you this weekend.  As always, THANK YOU for supporting Urbana's Market at the Square!

Autumn Begins

Are you inspired by the changing of seasons?  The thought of sweetcorn, pumpkins, squash, apples, crunching of leaves and crisp, cool air all bring excitement to Urbana's Market at the Sqaure.  Although the start to fall means we're nearing the end of Market season, there is still plenty to take advantage of every Saturday, from 7 a.m.-noon through November 3rd.

 

Besides the amazingly fresh and local produce, art, crafts, baked goods, music and performance, there are some great *FREE* events coming up that should seriously be marked on your calendars:

• Art at the MarketSeptember 29, 2012: Design Eco-Friendly Cloth Napkins with Traci Pines, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PMMake the switch: Ditch your paper napkins for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Go green and cut down on household expenses by cutting your use of paper napkins. Use stamps, markers, and fabric paints to make your very own custom designed and eco-friendly cloth napkins to use at your next family meal and even in your school lunch!!
• Performance at the MarketSeptember 29, 2012: The Turinos, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AMSon and father duo Matt and Tom Turino have been performing old-time, Cajun, and country blues music as well as their original tunes and songs on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and button accordions throughout the Midwest and Upper South over the last ten years. Currently they also play with the Cornstalkers Cajun Band, the U-Four String Band; Matt performs with the Mean Lids; and Tom performs Andean Music with the Hathaways. They have been regulars at the Urbana Farmer's Market since Matt was ten. Listen to their music online on their Myspace.
• Sprouts at the MarketOctober 6, 2012: Dirt to Dessert...And Beyond! This event will feature guest educators from The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur - they'll come to Sprouts ready to teach kids about curcurbits: squashes, pumpkins, and gourds.  Learn the A-Z of Squash, fun ways to prepare squash at home, sample pumpkin cookies (actually made by pumpkins grown at the Patch), and so much more! 

We took a trip south to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, Illinois this week to plan the October Sprouts at the Market (see above for details).  This event is going to be jammed pack with awesome activities for kids, information for parents, and samples of some really scrumptious pumpkin cookies.  Take a look at the fall colors we spotted at their farm:

As always, we thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you this weekend at Urbana's Market at the Square.

Come See the Colors of the Market

The weather is changing and you can feel it as you go to bed and wake up.  There is a little bit of crispness in the air which brings excitement and anticipation of the approaching autumn season.  The Market is changing too, bringing fun, fall colors in the produce. 

Last weekend the Market brought beautiful weather and fairly steady crowds of devoted Market patrons.  If you weren't there, this is what you missed:

This weekend you'll find plenty of things to buy, colors to see, and food to take home and try.  Bring your little ones out this weekend to participate in Sprouts at the Market.  The Family Resiliency Center will be on-site helping out with this free, fun-filled event.  This weekend will focous on EAT YOUR COLORS!  Kiddos ages 3-8 will have the opportunity to sample a variety of produce in a myriad of colors.  Parents can learn more about healthy mealtime habits and ways they can help bring fresh, local produce to the dinner table.

Also at the Market this weekend: chamabanamoms!  Be sure to stop by their tent, which will be located near the City tent in the north-west corner of the Market.

It's going to be a great Market this weekend and we hope to see you there.  As always, thank you for your continued support of Urbana's Market at the Square.

 

Bring a jacket and head to the Market!

The weather this weekend looks amazing, with the start to the Market rather chilly (upper 40's to lower 50's) and a high for the day topping out around 69 degrees.  Forecasts are calling for mostly sunny skies and a 0% chance for rain.  This is a major improvement of last weekend's very wet weather on Market day.

It's going to be a bustling weekend with a full house of vendors, artisans, peformers, musicians, food trucks...the list goes on and on. 

There aren't any photos from the 9/1/12 Market as the weather was too wet to bring out the camera.  Beware: with the mild, sunny weather we're expecting for this weekend, the blog entry for next week will contain numerous colorful photos of the area's freshest produce.  It's going to be awesome.

We'd like to welcome Natalie Kenny-Marquez to the Market fold - she'll be handling the Market's on-site and internal administrative operations through the end of the season. Take a swing by the Market tent on 9/8 and tell her hello!

This week's programming: There's a Bike Rodeo in Lot 24 (that's just south of the Market site, along Illinois Street) - bring your youngster by to check out the activities! 9-11:30 AM.  Champaign-Urbana Pride Fest will kick-off around noon at Lincoln Square Mall, with activities taking place inside the Mall and outdoors in parking lot 10F.

Future programming: The next Sprouts event will be on September 15, and the final event of the season, with the Great Pumpkin Patch, will be on October 6. The next Art at the Market event will be September 29, and the final Arts event of the season will be on 10/13.

It's going to be a great weekend and we're looking forward to seeing you all there! As always, thank you for supporting Urbana's Market at the Square!