Local Farmers Market Openings

There is NOTHING like wandering the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market bright an early on Saturday morning! While it's not overly big, the colorful fruit and veggies that are in season are a feast for the eyes and tongue. My kids have even gotten into the act (although they are MUCH more likely to enjoy the good baked goods we buy!) and love to visit the downtown market as well as Ypsilanti's Saturday Farmer's Market (they like to wait for the trains so I need to time those visits as carefully as possible or we wait FOREVER!).

Ann Arbor though isn't the only farmer's market in the area, so here are local Ann Arbor area Farmers Markets and their upcoming opening dates:

Ypsilanti's Depot Town Farmer's Market - Saturday, April 25th
Time: 8am - 2pm
Location: (NEW LOCATION) on the Market Plaza west of the Freighthouse next to the caboose

Chelsea Farmer's Market - Saturday, May 2 2009
Time: 8am − Noon
Location: Downtown Chelsea on Park Street

Ypsilanti's Downtown Growing Hope Farmer's Market - Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Time: 2pm - 6pm

Location: Michigan Ave and Hamilton Street

Canton's Farmer's Market - Saturday April 26, 2009

Time: 10am - 2pm

Location: 500 N. Ridge Road (the Bartlett-Travis House)

Saline Farmer's Market -

Time: 8am - Noon

Location: in City Parking Lot #4, south on S. Ann Arbor Street, next to Little Caesar's Pizza

Dexter Farmer's Market -

Saturday's: 8am - 1pm

Tuesday's: 4 - 7pm

Location: Alpine Street off of Main Street in Downtown Dexter

First-Ever National Mom's Nite Out @ Cildren's Orchard!

Mark your calendars for a night of shopping at Ann Arbor's Children's Orchard. From 6:00pm - 8:00pm on Thursday May 7th, the store will provide mom's with a break from the ordinary offering shoppers a well-deserved night off with samples from many local family-friendly vendors, prizes and more...

Children's Orchard
Colonnade Shopping Center
887 West Eisenhower Pkwy
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 995-8889 / annarbor@childrensorchard.com

Ann Arbor Area Earth Day Activities

It's important to me to involve my children in nature and the world around them. Here are some Earth Day events that are happening this week in and around Ann Arbor - Best of all most of the events are FREE!

Wednesday April 22:

Seed and Seedling Swap, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the Growing Hope in Ypsilanti. Bring seeds and seedlings you want to swap with other gardeners!

Earth Day Plastic Bag Trade - Be among the first 200 customers to shop at Whole Foods on Earth Day, and get a free Whole Foods Market Better Bag with your purchase! You can also recycle 10 plastic grocery bags for recycling to receive a free Better Bag in exchange. Surprise ecology oriented give-a-ways will continue throughout the day. Wednesday's are ALSO Kids Club day!!!

Friday April 24:

Tiny Tot Time—Earth Day 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. at the Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor. Stop in for a carnival of indoor and outdoor hands-on activities. Explore the joys of forests, fields and fauna through hikes, songs, stories, puppets, games and crafts. Stop in to the Critter House to visit Frieda the iguana and her animal friends or meander past our Resident Raptors to spy on owls, hawks and other raptors. $7.00 per child, ages 1-3 years with a caregiver, siblings are welcome. Pre-registration not required—pay at the door!

Saturday April 25:

Celebrate the Earth’s Birthday at the Ypsilanti Public Library at 2:00 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day through storytime. Other activities include snacks, "make our own compost", and seed planting. Registration required - 482-4110 ext. 1340.

Dance for the Earth, 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. at Downtown Home and Garden. Join the hottest Earth Day party in town. Dancing, Earth Day theme costumes, drum parade, and silent auction featuring local artists and earth-friendly items.... Proceeds support the Ecology Center's Mary Beth Doyle Environmental Health Fund.

Sunday, April 26:

Celebrate Ann Arbor's annual Earth Day Festival at the Leslie Science Center from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. This FREE, family friendly event features music and entertainment, hands on activities, live animal demonstrations, a Clean Energy Expo, and displays from local environmental, non-profit, and governmental organizations. At 2:30pm an All Species Parade will wind through the festival with those costumed as animals and plants.

Free Breakfast in Canton

My girlfriend Tammy is in town this week visiting and mentioned "Hey why don't we get together Friday for breakfast at the Canton Ikea - It's free." I said "WHAT?!" How can that be, free breakfast at Ikea??? But it's true...

Check it out, this weekend Friday, April 17 - Sunday, April 19, 2009 , the Canton Ikea on Ford Road is offering a free breakfast that includes a small breakfast plate and a cup of coffee (a $1.98 value). Oops, I found out the catch - visitors are limited to one free meal per household! Darned the kids AND I can't eat for free.

After breakfast we'll browse the store while the kids play in the free play area - What could be better than that?