The much-anticipated, cliffhanger season finale of the Burien Farmers Market is this Thursday, Oct. 15th from 11am to 6pm, and despite a 60% chance of rain (ha…what do meteorologists know anyways?), we encourage all Readers to at least drop in, say hi and grab some last-minute goodies.

We’ll be there, safely ensconced in our tent (we’ll save room for you), wearing our B-Town Blog-branded clothing and risking our lives by using live electricity to showcase and demonstrate our website right there on an LCD monitor.

The market won’t start up again until Spring of 2010, so we hope to see y’all there!

To inspire you to attend, here’s some original artwork by our own Danielle Burton, called “$2 a bunch”:

As the summer winds down, don’t forget that every Thursday through mid-October, the Burien Farmers Market is open from 11am to 6pm at the new Town Square (on SW 152nd at 5th SW), and here are some Photos and Sounds of last week’s as captured by Nicholas Johnson:

Click to Play Slideshow

The Farmers’ Market has developed into a very successful event with 40 to 50 vendors each week. Vendors include a food booth, handmade arts and crafts, farm fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh baked products, and even The B-Town Blog in a booth (come on down and say hi to us!)

Vendors must meet the guidelines of “Washington State Farmers Markets”, and they pay $25 per day to participate. To participate, click below for more information (all are PDF files):

• Vendor Application and Market Rules
• Sponsorship of Farmers Market
• Farmers Market Cart Sponsorship

Each Vendor is expected to stay the full day from 11am to 6pm.

Another gorgeous sunny summer day in Burien and the Farmers Market is just bustling on 5th Ave SW near Town Square with 42 vendors, including lots of fresh produce, flowers, handcrafted stuff, assorted other folks including us B-Town Bloggers in our own booth, and two brand new vendors we’d like to feature:

Jerry Robnett extracts honey from bees so you don't have to.

1. ROBNETT APIARY’S: Fresh honey from Jerry Robnett’s own bees (84 hives at last count) which he also packages and will sell to you with a Queen, so you can start your own colony. Jerry also does crop pollination, honey extracting, swarm recovery and just about anything else having to do with bees. This is his first week at the Burien Market so bee sure to come on down and check his stuff out.


Hannah Hoffmeyer wants you to Eat Local.

2. EAT LOCAL: Hannah Hoffmeyer is working the booth, where they sell meals prepared entirely from farmers market food. Some are fresh, some are frozen, but all are organic, locally-grown and healthy, including soups, entrees, sides and desserts, all of which can be cooked or warmed up in the oven or microwave.

The Farmers Market is open from 11am to 6pm every Thursday, in its great new location smack dab in the middle of the new Town Square on 5th at SW 152nd.

Burien’s Farmers Market, which runs every Thursday from 11am to 6pm, is moving today (Thurs. 7/2) to its brand new digs nestled between the new city hall and Town Square buildings on 5th Ave SW, just a stone’s throw from everyone’s favorite naked female statue “Paradigm Shift.”

Of course, if there’s fresh vegetables and the potential of nudity involved, you can count on The B-Town Blog to be there, so come on down to the new location today on 5th Ave SW at SW 152nd (see map below), right smack between the city hall/library building and the new condos.

Burien Farmers’ Market runs through mid-October, and has developed into a very successful market with 40 to 50 vendors each week, including our own booth where we do “live blogging” and demonstrate our website.

Vendors include a food booth, handmade goods, farm fresh products, flowers, fresh baked products and much more.

Here’s a slideshow by Photographer Michael Brunk to get you in the market mood:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Slideshow

And here’s a map showing where the new location is in relation to the old one:
View New Farmers Market location in a larger map

by Shawn Underwood

Last Thursday I was perusing the Burien Farmers Market (open from 11am to 6pm) when I ran into my favorite flower vendor. They happily met me with kind smiles and inquired, “What you like today?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know, I like all flowers. Can you make me a bouquet of the yellow Lupine and the white daisies?”

“You don’t like these already made up?”

“Yes, but I like those in the back better.”

“Ok, no problem, she make you a big bouquet,” said the smiling fellow.”

I certainly hoped they remembered me, or they would just think I was a persnickety customer—you know the type—the sort of person who carries floss in their pocket. Tooth floss that is.

“Can I take your picture for the B-Town Blog?” I asked with what I thought was a winning smile. Hopefully that spinach quiche I had at 909 Coffee and Wine wasn’t residing between my two front teeth. Not a good look.

“Oh no, we too old and shy,” said the smiling apple-faced woman. Her partner readily agreed with her as I took a people-less picture of flowers. As I walked away, my friend Trixie greeted me.

“What are you up to now?” she said with a knowing look.

“I wanted to take a picture of my favorite vendors and they declined because they are old and shy.”

“And dirty!” shouted the old, shy women. “You come back next time and I have on clean apron, then I ready for picture.” I swear she started preening as she barked her remark across the aisle.

“It’s a deal, see you next Thursday,” I bellowed back at her.

As I wandered from the market up the street, I ran into two city workers. Finally, the dead light pole was being restored.

“Hey guys, you two look pretty busy, is this an all-day job or what?” I jokingly said to them.

They both paused in their labors and took a much-needed break while I told them about a story I wrote about the dead light post.

“Really?” says the overly eager repairman. “Do you want to take my picture? Do you think I should have my tool belt off or on? Can you get a shot of my face from that angle? It should probably be an action shot, don’t you think? Maybe I’ll be famous.”

He jokes; at least I hope it was a joke.

After his “candid action shot” I asked him why there were always four or five workers standing around a man hole and shooting the breeze as one guy threw dirt out the hole.

“Well, one of the guys was probably holding an extra shovel,” he said with a hint of a grin.

Twenty-five years of living in Burien gives Humorist Shawn Underwood much fodder for her writings.

All of her stories are true, or at least have a grain of truth with no added embellishments.

Or something like that.

Read more of her humor at her website here.

Crystal Aquino, of C & C Creations, shows off her “six pack” of plants for sale at the Burien Farmers Market, which includes Strawberry, Pumpkin, Corn and Peppermint, all conveniently packed into a recycled cardboard beer holder and sold for $15 each or two for $22

The Burien Farmers Market is currently located on 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st, and is open until 6pm, and if you can’t make it today, Crystal will be selling her wares next week as well.

It’s a gorgeous day for the Burien Farmers Market, which is open until 6pm, so come on down to 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st, grab some fresh veggies, flowers, pastries, breads, plants, handcrafted stuff and much more…and don’t forget to look for us at The B-Town Blog booth!

To whet your appetite, here are some photos from last week’s market as shot by Photographer Michael Brunk:

Click to View Slideshow

Thursday, May 7th saw a rather blustery 2009 opening day of the Burien Farmers Market, and B-Town Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture these photos:

Click to View Slideshow

The first Burien Farmer’s Market of 2009 is officially open, and despite the weather gods breathing fiercely down our necks we’re fully anchored in and blogging live from a booth on the east side of the street right about in the middle of 10th Ave SW.

Some of the products you can expect today include:

• Amazing handmade windchimes, located right next to us and giving us quite a musical show in today’s weather
• Fresh flowers
• Fresh vegetables
• Potted plants
• Handmade candles
• Freshly-popped Kettle Corn
• Handmade wooden birdhouses
• Locally-made jams and jellies
• Freshly-baked breads and pastries
• Food samples from area restaurants
• Much more – just come on over and check it out, and be sure to find us and say hi – we’ll be here until around 3pm!

Burien’s annual Farmer’s Market blossoms on 10th Ave SW in Olde Burien (see map below) starting this Thursday, May 7th, then moves to the new Town Square July 2nd.

Sponsored by Prudential Northwest Realty, the market will take place every Thursday through October 15th, from 11am to 6pm, and The B-Town Blog will be there with our own booth, doing live blogging!

New this year, free samples of local eateries’ dishes will join farm-fresh produce and unique handcrafted goods at this weekly outdoor event.

The plan has long been for the farmers market, produced by the Discover Burien Association, to be located in the new Town Square. Originally, the market was located near Burien City Hall. With the move, the market will be close to the new City Hall in Town Square, according to Debra George of Marketing Innovations, the market manager on behalf of the Discover Burien Association.

“Town Square is a great centralized location for market customers,” George said. “And the new library and City Hall will increase foot traffic, which will benefit the vendors.”

The market’s fresh-off-the-vine fruits and vegetables are grown by Washington State farmers, most of them local plus a few from Eastern Washington. George notes that prices are affordable, even for organically-grown produce, and the quality is high since this just-picked bounty comes directly from the farmers with no middlemen or delays.

This year, look for new items like Turkish handmade bread or a Hawaiian Shave Ice and, between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. taste offerings from area restaurants.

Add a shave ice or a piece of fruit from a market vendor to tasty eats from the market’s hotdog cart for a great lunch deal. Enjoy it all at the market’s patio tables while taking the edge off the workday with live music, performed most days. Stop and chat with the B-Town Blog, the market’s official blogger, which will blog live from the market.

Customers who developed relationships with farmers or craftspeople last year will want to know that many of this season’s vendors are returnees, said George.

The market’s Olde Burien site is on 10th Avenue SW between SW 151st Street and SW 152nd Street (map below). In Town Square the market will be situated on 5th Avenue SW off SW 152nd Street.

Discover Burien is a nonprofit organization that works on the economic development and promotion of Burien.

For more information, call 206-433-2882 or go online to www.discoverburien.com.

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Today’s the final day of the 2008 Burien Farmer’s Market, and you have until 6pm to get down to 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st.

Otherwise, on behalf of the B-Town Blog staff, we’d like to give a huge shout-out to Debra George for all her help in this, our inaugural year at the market, as well as a big thanks to everyone who ever came by our booth.

See ya at next year’s Farmer’s Market!

Today’s the second-to-last Burien Farmer’s Market, which goes until 6pm, and despite any hints of drizzle or grey clouds, it’s going on as usual on 10th Ave SW at SW 152nd.

Some things you can find today:

• Potted plants for sale, both in the middle aisle and near SW 151st
• Fresh produce from local farms
• Fresh breads and pastries from Forest Fairy Bakery
• Handmade candles
• And of course, the B-Town Blog in our usual booth

The final market is next Thursday, so if you haven’t dropped by yet, come on over – we just looked up outside our tent and saw some blue sky!

Despite the threat of rain squalls and gusts of wind, all the merchants and tents at the weekly Burien Farmer’s Market are anchored down and open for business until 6pm.

As usual, on hand today are:

• Fresh produce from local farmers
• Fresh baked breads and pastries
• Handmade jewelry, candles, crafts, artwork
• Free back checkage from Optimal Chiropractic
• Organic lotions
• Potted roses lining the center aisle
• Fresh flower bouquets
• Shops and restaurants in Olde Burien are open for lunch and happy hour
• And of course…the B-Town Blog bloggin’ live (’til around 2pm)

So come on down, buy some fresh stuff and say hi to your neighbors.

And get some fresh air too – the wind has really cleared things out!

We’re back from our annual family vacation, fully rested yet still slightly sore from too much beach volleyball, but our fingers and brains still seem to be working.

And today’s Thursday, which can only mean one thing:

We’ll be Blogging Live from today’s Farmer’s Market, which runs from 11am-6pm (although we’ll only be here until around 2/3pm).

Some of the great things available today:

• Tons of fresh local produce from various Washington farms
• Live music will be playing until around 3pm
• Local restaurants and bars (The Mark, 909 Coffee & Wine, The Tin Room) are all open for lunch and Happy Hour!
• Handmade jewelry, kid’s picnic tables, birdhouses, soaps and much more
• Fresh bread
• Cooked-on-the-spot brats and hot dogs (great lunch break!)
• Lots more – come on down and shop for yourself, and be sure to find our booth and say hi!

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Another Thursday, another fine Farmer’s Market day in good ol’ B-Town.

Where else can you stroll and shop within earshot of the melodic cock-a-doodle-doo’s of live roosters (they’re in the back of Hayes Feed Store just up the alley)?

Where else can you buy fresh organic produce from local farmers?

Where else can you buy handmade kid’s picnic tables, jewelry and fresh breads?

We think you know the answer, so get yourself down here now.

Some of the great things available today:

• Live music will be playing until around 3pm
• Beautiful potted rose plants have taken over the center aisle. Again!
• Tons of fresh local produce from various Washington farms
• Local restaurants and bars (The Mark, 909 Coffee & Wine, The Tin Room) are all open for lunch and Happy Hour!
• Lots more – come on down and shop for yourself!
• The B-Town Blog is out of town this week on its annual family vacation in Oregon, so we won’t be present today but we know it will go on as usual until 6pm.

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Mother Nature has been putting on quite an excellent (albeit a bit premature) fireworks show for a few days now, and now the showers are moving through.

But will we hearty B-Towners let that stop us from enjoying today’s Farmers Market, or tomorrow’s 4th festivites?

Heck. No.

We’ve got a booth at the Market, and invite everyone to come visit us. Just be sure to stand right at the edge of our tent too – we have a great practical joke where we push the tent up and soak you with all-natural, organic, free-range, shade-grown, fair trade rainwater…you’ll love it!

Here’s what the patented B-Town Blog Weather Rock® says about tomorrow’s weather:

• “Mostly crummy weather with a slight chance of sun.
• Cloudy with a chance of showers.
• Highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s.
• South winds 5 to 15 mph.
• Marine push will come in tonight, bringing in overcast skies, which will linger through most of tomorrow.
• The 4th will start cloudy with areas of light showers, then partial clearing late in the day – maybe enough sunbreaks in the evening to make the wait for the fireworks pleasant, but still a risk of a few light showers or sprinkles roaming around.
• Highs will only reach around 70, with temps at fireworks time around 62 or so.“

The Burien Farmers Market is now open (and will be so until 6pm), the clouds are burning off, and there’s an entire block full of vendors selling all sorts of great, fresh and beautiful handmade stuff, including:

• NEW: “Springer’s Journey” illustrated children’s book Author Naomi Black & Illustrator Virginia Heaven (their booth is practically next to ours). They’re selling their gorgeous, self-published book based on a “True Seattle Story” about an orphan orca that hung out around Vashon Island; price is just $18.45
• Freshly baked breads & pastries (including “Fogaza,” a pizza-like loaf from Forest Fairy Bakery)
• Fresh cherries from Yakima Valley Produce
• Fresh produce from various farmers (duh…)
• Excellent artwork (paintings, copper art and more) from Ed & Carol Thompson
• Handmade 3-tiered hanging wooden planters
• Handmade chainmail jewelry
• Gorgeous handmade Glass Garden tiles, balls, birdbaths and more (right next to the B-Town Blog booth)
• Unusual handmade wooden “Bat Houses” (yes, houses for bats!) by Jack & Son; FYI…bats are excellent natural insect repellents – learn more here
• Handmade wooden things like squirrel feeders, picnic tables and more
• Knife and Garden Tool sharpening
• Live music around lunchtime
• Live Blogging from the B-Town Blog (with monitor so you can watch us in action!)
• Much much more!

In case you don’t know where to go, here’s a map:

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The Burien Farmers Market is open until 6pm, the skies are clearing, and there’s an entire block full of vendors selling all sorts of great, fresh and beautiful handmade stuff:

• Freshly baked breads & pastries (including “Fogaza,” a pizza-like loaf from Forest Fairy Bakery)
• Fresh cherries from Yakima Valley Produce
• Fresh produce from various farmers (duh…)
• Excellent artwork (paintings, copper art and more) from Ed & Carol Thompson
• Handmade 3-tiered hanging planters
• Handmade chainmail jewelry
• Gorgeous handmade Glass Garden tiles, balls, birdbaths and more (right next to the B-Town Blog booth)
• Unusual handmade wooden “Bat Houses” (yes, houses for bats!) by Jack & Son
• Handmade wooden things like squirrel feeders, picnic tables and more
• Knife sharpening
• Live Blogging from the B-Town Blog (with monitor so you can watch us in action!)
• Much much more!

Some pics to get you in a “market mood”:

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Farmers Markets have the lowest prices for organic produce, according to a recent study.

This is another obvious reason to come to the Burien Farmer’s Market, which goes from 11am to 6pm every Thursday.

The other reason of course is to come visit the B-Town Blog booth, to see us blogging “live” on the spot (and perhaps suggest a story idea right there).

Some people assume that dealing directing with farmers might be more expensive, but this study shows that it can actually cost you less.

“This is direct marketing, so the farmer doesn’t have to go through the middle man at the grocery store, and so it really helps the local farmers,” said Alan Worthington, of Appel Farms.

A Seattle University study shows when buying organic produce, it’s cheaper at a farmers market than a grocery store by up to 30 percent.

Organic produce averages $4.46 per pound at the Broadway QFC, $3.19 a pound at the Madison Co-op and $2.95 at the Broadway Farmers Market.

“There are misconceptions. There are people I talk to who think they’re doing farmers a favor by shopping at the farmers market or think they would have to pay extra for the farmers market,” said Stacey Jones, Seattle University professor.

For those who eat organic, buying directly from farmer may be the best bet.

As always, the Burien Farmers Market opens at 11am and goes until 6pm on 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and 151std in Olde Burien:

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SOURCE:

• KING-TV

The rain will not dampen nor stop today’s Farmer’s Market.

Repeat: no matter what size raindrops are falling, the Farmer’s Market will open today at 11am on 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st.

It’s open until 6pm (but if you want the really good, fresh stuff, come on down *now* as most vendors are selling now).

Here are some of the things you can find at today’s Market:

√ Fresh – vegetables, seasonal fruits and berries
√ Fresh flowers – bouquets
√ Fresh, hungry worms perfect for composting
√ Plants – perennials, baskets, vegetable baskets
√ Breads – organic grains – baked fresh daily
√ Pies – fresh fruit pies (Mmmm…pie…)
√ Handcrafted – colorful pottery, yard art, jewelry, pictures, woodwork
√ Blogging – live, real blogging done from within the B-Town Blog booth
√ Hearty Northwesterners who don’t let a little rain stop them from moving onward with their lives

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Random notes and thoughts from today’s Burien Farmer’s Market, which is open for biz ’til 6pm:

• Blue sky has been spotted, and the temps seem to be rising!
• Local bars and restaurants are open and serving drinks and food!
• “Two Scoops” is still playing his bluesy boogie woogie, and an hour or so ago there was an entire family dancing!
• The man selling candles across from the B-Town Blog booth (Quentin of Iris and Quentin’s Home Candle Manufactory) has some humorous signage posted amidst all his handmade and homemade candles:
  • “Fight Darkness! Light A Candle”
  • “It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness”

The Burien Farmer’s Market is now open, and this week, the B-Town Blog booth is sandwiched smack dab between Edge Tech Knife Sharpening and Optimal Health Chiropractic.

So if we throw our backs out while playing mumbleypeg (which we do often), we’re in the perfect spot.

But seriously, if you plan on coming down to the Farmer’s Market today, and have some knives (or garden tools!) that need sharpening, toss ‘em in your pocket and bring ‘em down (okay, maybe not your pocket but you get the picture). The good folks at Edge Tech have their special machinery all set up and can sharpen just about anything right on the spot.

Or if your back is bugging you and you want a FREE 5-minute massage (we’re getting one for sure), the good peeps at Optimal Health would be happy to oblige. In fact, if you come visit them today you can get a special coupon worth $300 of services for just $25. This includes a consultation, examination, x-rays, computer analysis of posture and nerve stress, a full report AND a half-hour massage.

Some other things here this week include:

• Lots of fresh veggies and fruits
• Potted plants and fresh flower bouquets
• Live music around lunchtime
• Handcrafted arts and crafts
  
• Original jewelry
• Fresh blogging at the B-Town Blog booth

Hope to see you down here soon!

The Burien Farmer’s Market opens for biz today at 11am at its new location on 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st.

As usual, it goes to 6pm (but if you really want the good, fresh stuff, come on down *now* as vendors are almost done setting up and from what we gather, most are open to selling now!).

Today is the second week in a row that the B-Town Blog will have a table – so come on out and say hi. Or better yet, come by and share a story or something interesting – we may just post it on the Blog right then and there!

Here are some of the things you can find at the Market:

• Fresh – vegetables, seasonal fruits and berries
• Fresh flowers – bouquets
• Plants – perennials, baskets, vegetable baskets
• Breads – organic grains – baked fresh daily
• Pies – fresh fruit pies (Mmmm…pie…)
• Handcrafted – colorful pottery, yard art, jewelry, pictures
• Blogging – live, real blogging done from within the B-Town Blog booth

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Next to the B-Town Blog booth at the Burien Farmer’s Market (open ‘ti 6pm) is the “Worm Mama,” and she’s got plenty o’fresh worms still available:

Fresh worms. Not for eatin’.

Worms for eatin’ courtesy “Worm Mama.”

The band is playing, the clouds are breaking, it’s lunchtime and the Burien Farmer’s Market is open until 6pm.

Spotted so far today:

“This place is for da boids.”

The B-Town Blog booth will be here until 3pm-ish. Come say hi!

In the parlance of film directors, oftentimes Take #3 is the first “best take,” because Take #1 usually is kind of a rehearsal and Take #2 is an experiment.

But Take #3, well…that’s usually when the rehearsal slams into the experiment and good things start to happen.

Today is Take #3 of the Burien Farmer’s Market at its new location on 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st. As usual, it opens at 11am and goes to 6pm (but if you really want the good, fresh stuff, come on down now as vendors are almost done setting up and from what we gather, most are open to selling now!).

It should be a great Take too (um, we mean #3…), as rehearsals and experiments are over and now things are jiving.

And, today is the day that the B-Town Blog will have a table as well – so pop on over and say hi (even just to spite the gray weather gods).

Some pics from last week to get you in the mood, courtesy B-Town Photog Heather Crockett:

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ALERT: The sun is finally out and temps are in the upper 60s!

The Weather Advisory might be correct after all!

And the Burien Farmer’s Market is open for biz until 6pm!

So get on down to 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and SW 151st Streets in Olde Burien, and get your hands on some of the great stuff still available…fresh fruits and veggies to freshly-baked breads to flowers and plants and yes, even gourmet hot dogs.

Don’t forget also that most of the shops and restaurants in downtown Burien are open all day, and some are even serving food and drinks OUTSIDE!

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The Burien Farmer’s Market opened at 11am under some gray clouds, but with lots of smiles, bright flowers, crafts and fresh food, as evidenced by these photos, taken just minutes ago:

Most of the stores on SW 152nd are open today as well and are running special promotions, like The Tin Room, which will be serving a full lunch menu, with outdoor seating for those true Northwesterners:

 

So get out of your office and get on down here – the best pickin’s are still out!

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The vendors are setting up, the street is blocked off and the skies are (hopefully?) clearing, which can only mean one thing:

The Burien Farmer’s Market starts today!

At 11am to be precise, through 6pm, on 10th Ave SW between SW 152nd and 151st, smack dab in front of the B-Town Blog offices, which are upstairs in the Color Printing Systems building.

So far we’ve seen:

• Lots of flowers
• Plants
• Bread
• Farm-fresh vegetables (lots of organics we believe)
• Unique stuff

And we hear word that a blues quartet will be playing around lunchtime.

We’ll be posting updates throughout the day, so come on down and check it out. Who knows – you may even make it onto the B-Town Blog!

Some pics to get you in a “market mood”:

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The Burien Farmer’s Market starts next Thursday (May 8th) and continues until Oct. 9th, operating every Thursday from 11am – 6pm rain or shine, practically smack dab in front of the B-Town Blog’s new offices on 10th Ave SW and SW 152nd in Olde Burien.

This is a new location for the weekly event, and it appears that this year they’ll be taking over the entire block, which of course will make it easy for us to attend since it’ll be just outside our door!

The Burien Farmer’s Market is for farmers, growers or producers from Western Washington who sell their own produce in person, direct to the public. All products sold are grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the vendor. Choices will range from the freshest locally-grown organic produce to foods cooked right on the premises, arts and crafts, music and much more (potentially including B-Town Blog-related stuff…stay tuned for details…).

We’ll see you there!

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