The majority of the time, this blog will talk about all the fun or behind-the-scenes happenings at Alderwood Manor Heritage Association. Today, however, I’m going to rave about the new Lynnwood Farmers Market at Wilcox Park, since the market is practically our neighbor.

The market will have a different lineup every week, featuring standard farmers market vendors, along with crafts, community involvement stands, and musicians. If produce isn’t your thing, though, or your stomach starts growling like mine did, there’s the Here and There food truck, “an anywhere grill,” which will be at the market every week.

Specialty foods are for sale at the market, too, like Happy Dance Baking, a gluten-free and vegan bakery; homemade pasta and desserts from Pasteria Lucchese; and Italian sodas. Does ice cream count as a specialty food? Sure! Ice cream is definitely special. Social Ice Cream will be at the market every week, with vanilla bean and chocolate weekly, and rotating specialty flavors. This week, those extra flavors included strawberry, chocolate caramel, nondairy banana almond, and nondairy chocolate chai. I went with the chocolate chai, which was scrumptious, and tasted a little like gingerbread.

The obligatory take-a-picture-of-my-food-and-post-it-online picture. Too bad the ice cream didn’t last long enough for me to actually snap a shot of it. But I think you can tell by the way I got almost every last drop that it was good.

Each week will have different citizen engagement booths, in addition to the food. Visitors can meet city council members, the mayor, or different advisory boards and commissions. It looks to be a great way to keep in touch or get involved with your city.

But like most summer markets, this one excelled in veggies and beautiful summer fruit: Cha New Life Garden caught my eye with its bins of fresh greens; strawberries from Hayton Farms in Mount Vernon and Jessie’s Berries from Skagit Valley; yummy cherries from Bill’s Fruits (who will feature a different fruit each week of the market); and peaches and other kinds of fruity goodness from the Collins Family Orchards. I purchased some luscious strawberries from Jessie’s Berries and cherries from Bill’s Fruits; both sets were super sweet and juicy, perfect for a summer day!

Enticing berries from Jessie’s Berries

The market was smaller than a lot of farmers markets, only taking up a portion of the park’s west parking lot, but considering its beautiful location, and the fact that the city is still getting this up and running, I thought it was pretty satisfying. What could be better on a summer day than enjoying the sun, watching kids have fun at the Kamp Kookamunga activity area, eating some ice cream, and supporting local farmers and crafters?

Thanks to the City of Lynnwood for realizing that Lynnwood needed to have its own farmers market and making it happen, to the Lynnwood Police Department for traffic control, and to the vendors for making a fun day out of the market.

So visit the Lynnwood Farmers Market at Wilcox Park, every Thursday through September, from 3 pm to 7.  And while you’re there, go ahead and think about Mr. Olson, the dairyman, letting his cows graze on that land back in the 1910s and 1920s.

For more information, go to www.LynnwoodFarmersMarket.com.