Boise, ID

Farmers Markets can be a pleasant place to browse on a warm day, and a great way for the general public to meet people with something homegrown or homemade to sell. Several communities around the valley have a Farmers Market that runs weekly from late spring through early fall, and while many of them set up on Saturday mornings, Caldwell’s appears every Wednesday evening from 5:00-8:00.
Last week the kids and I had a chance to check it out, leaving the house quiet for my husband who needed some sleep before working some late hours. Although I later felt like we were doing the salmon impersonation and swimming upstream, since most of our fellow browsers seemed have started from the opposite end of the booth lineup, our first stop was at the mini-dough-nut maker where free mini-dough-nut samples hot from the oven caught our attention—and our sweet tooth! .

From there, I attempted to keep track of my kids while moving against the flow of traffic and trying to see what was being sold at each table. A total of maybe 15 vendors sold a variety of garden plants, fresh bread, popcorn, crafts, etc.

After the mini-doughnut samples, nothing much grabbed my kids’ attention so we moved down the line fairly quickly with me making mental notes to come back again either without kids or with Daddy (and of course to start at the other end). The “park” across the street was much more interesting to my daughter, and despite my explanation that it was only a series of monkey-bars without swings or slides, she was determined to check it out. As I knew, from my own checking it out on a previous occasion, it is in fact a park of monkey-bars in every shape and height imaginable, with only one small section appropriate for small children like mine. For older kids it could be a lot of fun, and what I hadn’t realized before is that there is a volleyball net and sand court, and a basketball court, either of which would be fun to utilize on a summer evening or weekend afternoon with a group of friends. The rest of the area is divided off into several sections used for batting practice. While we were there, a team of young girls arrived in uniform, large duffle bags of bats and equipment in tow.

According to the sign, this location is the former site of the Caldwell High School, so it’s a bit historical.

Also, the market is set up right next to the public library, so a shopping trip could be combined with a literary adventure. Both the park and the library have restrooms, and there are drinking fountains as well in the library, if you don’t find something refreshing to purchase at the Farmers Market. Except for the park play area, everything is paved and wheelchair accessible. So next time you find yourself with a little time on a Wednesday evening, head over to 12th and Dearborn and support your local artisans. And if you possess a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, you can pick up an application to rent your own space at the market. For more info, read the Idaho Press Tribune’s article at http://www.idahopress.com/?id=8315 .