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Market Watch: Pick a pumpkin, any pumpkin

Last weekend's Market showed one major hallmark typical of the approaching end of its season: the entire operation is now "small" enough to fit in four rows instead of five. This week — #26 out of 28 — will be no different, though there's still an impressive variety of vendors hanging on until they can move inside for the Urbana Business Association's Holiday Market, which starts November 14. While the Markets are different, they share many of the same vendors, including farmers. For more information, click on the link above or call 344-3872.

This week's food:

apples, fennel, cilantro, celeriac, leeks, onions, heirloom potatoes, tomatoes, fresh carrots, chard, cabbages, lettuces and salad mixes, spinach, green onions, green beans, okra, eggplant, hot & sweet peppers, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, squashes (including pumpkins) — also, locally-raised meat and eggs, award-winning goat cheese, honey, and much more

See, we told you there's still a lot out there!

[However, if you're looking for Stewart's Artisanal Breads (and his bagels), he won't be back at the Market until October 31. Fryer Tuck is done for the season. The good news is that The Pie Lady is coming back for a limited engagement! If you came to the Market during peak season, you probably saw many of The Red Oak's signature pink boxes containing pies and casseroles walking around the Market. Market Watch just got word that Trisha will be back for one day only this weekend. She'll be in the 4th row. Nom nom nom.]

Haven't yet acquired your Halloween jack o'lantern? This weekend is prime time. Kleiss Produce Farm's pumpkins, large and small, will be on sale at very good prices — check ‘em out at the north end of row 1, near the City tent.

Sprouts at the Market (the Market's child nutrition and farm linkage programming) is in the house for its final engagement of the season. This weekend's theme is healthy trick-or-treating; you provide the Sprout, the farmers will provide the goodies, the Market will provide a special Sprouts tote bag for said goodies, and Jen and her army of volunteers will provide the Sprouts with the straight dope on healthy eating during the fall and winter months, when fresh food isn't as plentiful. The program, which starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 11 a.m., is free and open to all kids, but is definitely geared toward kids between the ages of 4-10. Please call 384-2319 if you have any questions.

We also hear "Market at the Scare" is TOTALLY HAPPENING at the Market on October 31. Come to the Market wearing your costume and get your photo taken... enjoy some refreshments while they last... come visit as one of Urbana's finest institutions starts to reall wind down for the year.

See you out there!


Most Recent Food Comments

{username}

Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…

{username}

Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…

Rob McColley avatar

I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.

Annie Weisner avatar

This makes me so sad.  (Happy to live in Urbana, though!)  Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away.  This town should be supporting small businesses.  I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…

Mike Ingram avatar

This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market.  Check it:  http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles

{username}

Also worthy of a mention: Most Oddly Named Restaurant with Fantastic Food: Let’s Take Seat http://letstakeaseat.com/

{username}

Other possibilities along this vein: Most Bizarre Restaurant Decor, Runner-Up: The new Merry Ann’s Diner on Nevada has a mural of the scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” where the plane is chasing Cary Grant on a desert landscape. Never understood how that ambiance is supposed…

{username}

As a teenager too broke to actually buy anything, I indulged in many a free cup of Kopi water.

Mike Ingram avatar

Excellent additions, LY.

{username}

Possible Honorary Categories: Most Bizarre Restaurant Decor: Mas Amigos on Springfield Av. With painstaking attention to shelving, the owner proudly displays his NFL football helmet collection. WTF? Best Pancakes: Courier Cafe. Huge, fluffy, served with hot syrup. If you can stuff 3 of these down, you don’t…

Most Recent Comments

Michael Feltes avatar

The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!

{username}

Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.

isaac arms avatar

represent, Matt.

{username}

Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.

{username}

Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…

{username}

Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…

Rob McColley avatar

I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.

Annie Weisner avatar

This makes me so sad.  (Happy to live in Urbana, though!)  Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away.  This town should be supporting small businesses.  I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…

{username}

*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…

isaac arms avatar

Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet.  John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…

isaac arms avatar

What?  Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?

Mike Ingram avatar

This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market.  Check it:  http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles

{username}

And without bloodshed. Sounds like the Savoy trustees aren’t as narrow-minded as some of their whiny pants constituents. Do you think quack Snell is already planning an asinine counterattack or is he still laying low after those “threats” against his person?

isaac arms avatar

hey, if hair ain’t gon’ be over your head, my jokes may as well be.

{username}

Okay, almost 24 hours later and I finally got Issac’s Summer joke. I’m an idiot.

isaac arms avatar

Excellent.  I am glad sometimes American dreams are encouraged, rather than stifled.

{username}

Swap the dog for a fire pit and it sounds like you’re writing about my back yard. Very nice.

isaac arms avatar

funny, as your summer begins, another Summer ends.

Jason Brown avatar

@Dan - Wow. Unfortunately, I have to refrain from further comment due to a previous employment relationship. But with that brief context you might be able to imagine possible comments or responses I could have.

Dan Schreiber avatar

Oh, by the way, the “Champaign County YMCA” no longer exists. The official name is now the “Stephens Family YMCA” (the website has not been updated, but check out the latest program guide).  And no, it’s not just the name of the building. It’s the name of the organization.

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