Coral Gables Farmers Market

Winter.

For some parts of the country, winter is synonymous with snow, jackets, boots and staying indoors. For us? Winter means shorts, t-shirt (maybe long sleeves), good hair days and the open-air Coral Gables Farmers Market.

2013 marks the 22nd season of the Coral Gables Farmers Market. Beginning this Saturday (January 12, 2013), the Farmers Market will be held every Saturday from 8 am until 2 pm on Biltmore Way & Le Jeune Rd in front of City Hall. This year’s market runs through March 23, 2013.

The Coral Gables Passport Acceptance Facility in the Office of the City Clerk, located on the first floor of City Hall, will also open on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm until March 23, 2013.

Like all farmers markets, the Coral Gables Farmers Market gives you an opportunity to buy locally-grown food directly from the producer. It’s a win/win for all. You get to enjoy fresh, seasonally-grown food that was produced a short distance from your home, while producers get to sell directly to the consumer – cutting out the middleman and maximizing profits.

Fresh produce is your thing? Come visit the “candy store”.

Maybe you just need to sweeten things up a lil with some fresh fruit. Yes, they have that too.

Everybody knows you can’t make the perfect sandwich without the perfect bread. Become the sandwich artist you were born to be. Don’t listen to the doubters. That’s what makes you happy. Take your bread game to the next level. Dr. Atkins died anyway.

Go ahead and spice up your life while you’re at it. Life is too good for plain ole salt and pepper only.

Aside from the traditional, you can also participate in a free Tai Chi class that begins promptly at 8 am, followed by a gardening workshop at 9 am, and cooking demonstrations by some of Coral Gables’s finest restaurants at 10 am. Children’s activities conclude the program at 11 am.

The Coral Gables Farmers Market is a great way to sample local foods, learn about the local culture and run into people you may not want to see.

If you see a guy out there munching on an Almond Butter Croissant while snapping away with an iPhone 4S, say “hi”. I’ll treat you to something good, if not better.

Other things you can do...