Photograph by Robert Scheer
Jasmine Molina sells fresh flowers at the Sunnyvale Harvest Farmers' Market on Murphy Avenue.
By NATASHA COLLINS
Pigs, people, pumpkins and pears may seem like they don't belong together, but they do if you're attending the annual Sunnyvale Harvest Farmers' Market.
The market took place Oct. 5 on Murphy and Evelyn avenues. Sunnyvale hosts a farmers' market on Murphy every Saturday, but the Harvest Market was bigger and better than most, said Ron Pardini of the Marin County Farmers' Market, which organizes both events. The special market was to honor the fall harvest of apples and pears in California, he said.
Growers from throughout Santa Clara and Marin counties lined up their booths on either side of the street to display their fresh produce. There were plenty of free samples of pears and apples to taste. Children and adults meandered through the crowd with free samples hanging from toothpicks.
Displays of flowers, corn, jams, peppers and fresh bread colorfully lined the street. Venders tried to outsell and out-yell one another as they called out, "Fresh straaawberries right here," or "Best buy, guaranteed, this a-way." Patrons could be seen crisscrossing the avenue, sampling the different produce before making a final decision.
A popular attaction for children was the small beige pony available for short rides. Others kept busy feeding pumpkins to the baby pot-bellied pigs in the petting zoo. Also in the petting zoo were pygmy goats, ducks and chickens. Many children left the petting zoo with tears in their eyes because Mom and Dad were ready to leave before they were.
"I like petting the little baby pigs," said Nicole Chan, 6, as she waited in line for the pony ride. "I can't wait to go back and pet them some more."
Children could also be seen crowded around a small rectangular table covered with feathers, pipe cleaners, glitter, googly eyes, glue and miniature pumpkins. Each child, some with the help of parents or siblings, had the opportunity to decorate their pumpkins however they wished.
Lauren Tomosada, who was at the market with her friend, said she decorated her pumpkin like a monster.
"Mine has four eyes," the 6-year-old said about her pumpkin, decorated with googly eyes and pink pipe cleaners. "It's a scary monster."
A children's art contest was also held at the market. Children of all ages brought in pictures they had drawn depicting the fall harvest. Several drew themselves picking vegetables from a garden, while others drew cornucopias filled with pumpkins, corn and other vegetables. Local vendors and shop owners judged the pictures and awarded several prizes to the winners, Paradini said.
A balloon man was present to make up wild balloon hats and animals for a small donation, and a vendor made a fortune selling Mickey Mouse-shaped gingerbread cookies.
According to many adult patrons of the market, it was the events for the children that enticed them to the event.
"I saw a flyer telling about all the children's events and decided to come," said Phyllis Chan. "It has been great for the kids."
Chan, a first-time visitor to the Sunnyvale Farmers' Market, said she also attended for the fresh produce.
"I heard there was a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, but it is better then I thought," she said. "I will definitely come back and tell my friends."
Besides arts and crafts for children, there were also arts and crafts for adults. Several local jewelers displayed their silver earrings, bracelets and rings. There was also a painter, a baby-clothes maker and a woman who sold hand-painted crafts for the home at the market.
What seemed to draw the biggest crowd of adults, however, was a Peruvian band. The band played music from its homeland on drums, guitars, lutes and flutes, instruments they sold along with tapes and CDs of its music.
Crowds could also be seen waiting in a long line for what seemed to be nothing. It wasn't until the clompity-clomp of horse's hooves could be heard in the distance that it became obvious what the wait was for--a large, dapple-gray draft horse pulling a black buggy with red fringe. The horse pulled his passengers around Town Center-- down Mathilda Avenue, across Evelyn Avenue, back up Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road and then right on Washington Avenue.
The Sunnyvale's farmers' market is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Murphy Avenue, across from Macy's department store.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 16, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.