Burlingame Farmers Market & Green Fair

On Sunday, May 17, 2009, I inadvertently attended a fair. Having missed the San Mateo farmers market due to my previous day's activities, I decided to go to the Burlingame farmers market. I jogged there, grabbed a banana walnut muffin for breakfast, and began re-exploring the market. (My last and only previous visit was ages ago.) I soon discovered the annual Burlingame Green Fair was happening this day, immediately adjacent to the market.

The farmers market hadn't changed much since my last visit. Like last time, there was some high-end jewelry and art, neither of which do I normally see at farmers markets. Overall, the market was about a third the size of San Mateo's. About half the vendors at this market are also at the San Mateo market, though often with smaller selections. The market was a bit too small for my liking. For instance, I wanted to pick up tomatoes and potatoes for one recipe, but there were no tomato vendors. (There's usually one or two in San Mateo this time of year.) There were also no organic potato vendors. These things should be a staple.

The green fair, which extended on both sides of the street for one long block, was mostly green building and green landscaping companies. (There were two dozen booths of these types!) Given that I don't own a house or a lawn, these didn't interest me much. Seven booths at the fair, sold, among other wares, reusable, fashionable handbags. There were also a surprising number of booths selling hair and skin creams. The two neatest things I saw at the fair were someone who makes bags and wallets out of used capri sun containers, and someone who makes teddy bears from "vintage" fabrics.

The fair had one stage. While I was there, performers demonstrated yoga. There were mats set up in front of the stage so others could participate. People did.

I got two useful things from the fair. One, from the government organization promoting public transportation, I got a county bike map. (I'd been hunting for a map for ages, but the libraries that were supposed to carry it have always been out of stock.) Two, from the organization that manages the county's recycling programs, I finally got a suggestion on what to do with the "green waste" that is my dead bonsai. (Again, I don't live in a house so don't get regular green waste pickup.)