Last Big Day for Farmers Market Season

To paraphrase Yogi Berra, if the Farmers Market gets any bigger, nobody will go there anymore – just too crowded. And this Saturday was a mob fest – shoppers and vendors everywhere, with nary a spare space to park.

And the Farmers Market is becoming more than just a place to buy fresh produce. It’s an entertainment venue as well – THE place in Falls Church to see and be seen, and to enjoy a little free entertainment on the side.

Open Kitchen’s Chef Bernard was a crowd pleaser, conducting a cooking class with banter worthy of Julia Child. Tip of the day: “Never wash a mushroom – it destroys the ‘woods’ flavor. I’d no sooner do that than wash an oyster.”

Musicians have found the Farmers Market as well, adding the sensory pleasure of sounds to the tastes and smells already stimulating the crowd.

Officially the Farmers Market season doesn’t contract until the new year. But several vendors end their sales year at Thanksgiving, so the following Saturday should be a smaller affair. Regular season hours (8 a.m.-noon) will continue through the end of 2009, after which the Market will open an hour later through April.