As I’ve mentioned in this space before, the best way to get to know a community is eyeball to eyeball. Sure, coffee shops, breweries and bike shops are a start. But here in Tucson, we have another outlet.
The local farmers markets.
There is a rhythm and tone to when and where they are held. And while there are vendors common to several, each market stands on it’s own. A typical week for us stacks up like this (you can see we fill our calendar quite well):
- Thursday at Mercado Annex: I bought herbs there recently from the grandson of a long-time friend. It’s where we meet up with Vicki, our coffee dealer, and Dave, the honey guy. Oh, and it puts us close by some shops we know well: the bookstore, the local brand store and the bike shop.
- Friday at Udall Park: there is a produce lady who shows up with stuff from Dragoon. But we mostly go to see Phoebe, the dog treat lady, and Doug, the “lobsta roll” guy (they are also regulars at Rillito).
- Saturday at Rincon (east side of town) or Steam Pump Ranch (Oro Valley): more produce and edibles focused, these are good markets to check out for local crafts, too. Plus the Oro Valley Historical Society is co-located with the market up north.
- Sunday at Rillito: the largest market. On the grounds of what used to be the Rillito horse racing track, this is the most diverse and entertaining–they have live music. Besides the honey guy and the treat lady, we meet up with Jo, the jam lady.
- Saturday and Sunday at Saint Phillips Plaza: food on Saturday, crafts on Sunday, music both days. We go to see the aforementioned Honey Guy and our artist friend who does fabulous work with prickly pear skeletons (you didn’t they had skeletons, did you?).
Heirloom Markets Tucson is responsible for the promotion of all but the Mercado event.
