The Bellingham Farmers Market celebrated its season opener on April 2 with live fiddlers and the return of countless food and craft vendors. Speeches were given just outside the sheltered area of Depot Market Square where participants gathered to hear about the meaningful value farming brings to the community. Mayor Kelli Linville commenced the event with the iconic tossing of a fresh green cabbage. After a long winter, the Bellingham Farmers Market was back in all its glory.
Now in its 24th season, the Bellingham Farmers Market features a variety of food and craft vendors from across the region, all of which are eager to meet locals and tourists from across Whatcom County to celebrate community, art and farm fresh food.
Walking around the market on opening day, passersby marveled at the produce of spring that was piled high on table after table. Bulbous radishes, parsnips, turnips and beets neighbored leafy mustard greens, arugula, spinach and kale. The colors, textures and smells of the season were in plain view, all ripe for the plucking.
Meandering through the market, it was easy to see how fresh produce and art go hand in hand. At the market, food is not the only thing offered in abundance — art is also everywhere. From boldly glazed ceramics ready to adorn the table top, to wall art spouting the words “Bellingham” and “Happy Camper,” area artisans displayed their work proudly in hopes of piquing the potential buyers’ interest.
Open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every Saturday through fall, the Bellingham Farmers Market is a place where you can start your day off with freshly made breakfast goodies like fresh coffee from Bellingham Coffee Roasters and gooey cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting from Mount Bakery.
After breakfast, delight in fresh Good to Go Meat Pies that can be warmed up for lunch or enjoyed later in the week. As you make the rounds, loading up on farm fresh goodies, you may realize you need a spare hand. If you forgot your reusable grocery bag at home, how fun would it be to purchase a hand-woven basket and load it up with all your market purchases?
All the food that is available at the market inspires so many choices, both traditional and new. Cheese? Try dill and garlic mozzarella or red pepper with onion and garlic. Meat? Enjoy savoring a sage breakfast sausage. For a few dinner choices there is Angus beef, coho salmon and sockeye lox, chicken (whole or in parts), and much more. Both fresh and dried herbs offer a range of choices for adding flavor and depth to your cooking.
Planning for a dinner or two could fill your basket pretty quickly. A small assortment of produce and that special bottle of Honey Moon Mead could begin to add some weight — especially if you picked up a jar of loganberry, fig or peach preserves from one of the jam vendors. If you need a break from that heavy lifting, there are a couple places at the market where you can take a break and enjoy a massage. After relieving some tension (and digesting your breakfast), you might be ready for lunch or snack.
The food vendors offer a wide range of choices, which means there is something for everyone. Flavors seem to have traveled all over the world to arrive at this market where family recipes and old-world flavors are plenty. Enjoy a slice of Margherita pizza, sink your teeth into the rich flavor of achori lamb curry, or enjoy warm spoonfuls of clam chowder made from local razor clams.
Dessert is easy to find at the market as well, from chocolate truffles to brown sugar shortbread cookies, your sweet tooth will not go unsatisfied. If you are feeling like making a dessert for later, you can pick up fresh rhubarb for pie or delicious raw honey to sweeten any tea.
Need a break from all the food? Arts and craft vendors provide a feast for the eyes while you give your belly a break. Children and adults alike will enjoy the enchantment of the Bellingham Balloon Fairies. Interested in sprucing up your spring wardrobe? Wearables can be found throughout the market as well.
With more than enough options for meals, arts, crafts and more, the Bellingham Farmers Market is truly a place you can arrive for breakfast, stay for lunch and come home with all the fixings you need for dinner and more.
Although, if one Saturday a week doesn’t fulfill all your market needs, stay tuned. Bellingham Farmers Market Board President, Margot Myers, says market-goers will love the Bellingham Farmers Market weeknight market in September. “For the month of September, we will host Thursday evening market days to provide a more laid back shopping event for locals,” she says. “Since we’re using evening hours, we’re hoping to provide groceries to people just getting off work, enjoying the beautiful fall weather with their families, or simply those customers who avoid the crowds and festival atmosphere we’ve become famous for on Saturday.”
The Bellingham Farmers Market is open now through fall every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For a complete list of the market’s more than 100 vendors, visit the Bellingham Farmers Market’s website.
Bellingham Farmers Market
Depot Market Square
1100 Railroad Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
http://www.bellinghamfarmers.org
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