I know--it doesn't quite reach the entertainment pinnacle of Secession Days, with miniature horses, baby emus and, um, well, I guess that was it. But we really enjoy the Thursday Night Grower's Markets held in downtown Grass Valley during the summer.They started in early June, but last night they kicked off the more elaborate version. First of all, local growers have precious little to offer until about now. Onions, herbs and some more onions. Last night, though, there were fruits and veggies of all sorts to choose from. More restaurants and food concessions were participating, activities for kids popped up, and vendors, most of them familiar from other such events (more fancy soaps!), plus others, lined both sides of the streets.
And entertainment. Two or three kinds of music, set up at the extremes. Last night, the kick-off, featured a Caribbean/South American-sounding group which also paraded through the streets pounding their eclectic drum cadences surrounded by a random assortment of dancers followed, of course, by the local chapter of the Democratic Party-a fun bunch. Quite the spectacle, as you can clearly see.
Thousands of folks come out to mill around and buy stuff. It's fun! We ate interesting food, met some nice folks, and, for the first time in the last ten days, the breeze fairies moved the smoke in a different direction. It was a glorious evening!
So, most Thursday nights, you'll know what we're doing. In a couple of weeks, Nevada City does pretty much the same thing, but on Wednesday evenings. Spices up the mid-week rhythm of the summer, for sure.
Oh, and hey! Just before the Market, and on the same street, we went to the historic (isn't everything?) Del Oro Theater to see "Hancock". We liked it. Don't expect too much. It's a comic book story, for heaven's sake. Silly. And kind fun. Jason Bateman is really good.
Happy 4th (cha cha cha)!
