Opening Day of the Portland Saturday Market

Today was opening day for the 2010 season of the Portland Saturday Market. The 37th season! It was a perfectly beautiful day and a huge crowd was out. (Some in tank tops! in March!) Also in attendance were some of the local media covering the event. A reporter from the Oregonian came by to chat with me and I was featured in his article, along with a few of the other vendors. It's sweet to be in the paper - even if he didn't get all the details quite right (um, I didn't do environmental work for 20 years, but hey, what's 10 years between friends?). Although it's a ton of work (the constant upkeeping of stock, setting up my booth twice a week, etc), I enjoy the market a lot: the camaraderie, chatting with my fellow sellers and the customers, the instant feedback on my work, and spending beautiful summer days hanging outside. And, most importantly, the Market allows me to make a living, doing what I love, working for myself, with great people in a community that is very supportive of local artisans. I hope today's happy crowds bode well for a prosperous season for all the vendors.
Photo by Oregonian photog Motoya Nakamura