So Close

I came out of the Food Lion yesterday and the day was shaping up to be gorgeous. The sky was clear and blue, the sun was out, the air was gentle against my skin. It felt like--hmm--it felt like Farmers Market weather.

I looked down at the other end of the parking lot and imagined all our familiar vendors in their places. Soon, really soon, I'll be coming over of a Sunday for fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, herbs, honey, baked goods, flowers and plants...even coffee and sometimes wine are available. In the past we've had live music, too. Folks come on foot, by bicycle, and by car as they make their weekly pilgrimage for the freshest and most seasonal foods on offer locally.

The Oakland Mills Farmers Market is a place to bump into neighbors and friends, too. It's a safe space for parents to let their children wander around and investigate. On special days there are activities for children. People walk their dogs, and the dogs are generally pretty 'chill' and sociable. It's a neighborhood happening. Every Sunday.

I love the OM Farmers Market. It's good for my neighbors, and it's good for my neighborhood. It draws not just from the Village, but from outside as well, since there are people looking specifically for a Sunday market, and they come to us. It's not unusual to see people combine a trip to the market with picking up a few things at the Food Lion. Customers from outside the Village take note of the Second Chance for a future trip, or finally figure out where The Other Barn is. Maybe they get pastries and eat in our beautiful courtyard.

We don't get much "through traffic" in Oakland Mills so the Farmers Market is crucial for making new friends for the Village. That young couple who ventures out to our Sunday market, who comes back another evening to try the Second Chance--they're also passing houses for sale and thinking neighborhood and walkability. They're meeting and chatting with people who love living here.

So the market is more than just a once a week stop for produce. It's a valuable investment in the present and future well-being of the Village. If you haven't been to the Oakland Mills Market, please accept my invitation to join us some Sunday.

Beginning May 8th, SUNDAYS:

Oakland Mills Village Center

9 am - 1 pm