On the market's last truly summer-warm Wednesday, the crowd stretched from the picnic tables to the music pavilion. Under the white tent behind the manager's office, Meredith DeCotiis ran the Ulysses Philomathic Library's Library Space — a spot she built out of watercolor paints, donated logs, and whatever craft supplies could hold a kid's attention longer than a picture book.
Elsewhere in the market, Hannah Kuhn of Seneca Shimmer wove salon-grade tinsel into hair between sets from The Yardvarks, and Debbie Biltonen of Know Your Roots talked herbal tinctures made with honey from a fellow vendor two tents over. It's the kind of afternoon this paper exists to notice: not headlines, just the small trades and conversations that keep a market — and a town — running.
The Library Space does more than give children something to do. It strengthens the connections between the people and institutions that make the Trumansburg community what it is. — Issue No. 4, on the Ulysses Philomathic Library's market tent
Steady rain thinned the crowds but not the vendors. Cider from forgotten apple trees, a $30 hot dog joke, and a tablecloth stain that "represented the market perfectly."
Read the issue →Behind every Wednesday market sits a Village board, a fundraising Friends group, and a nonprofit fiscal sponsor — and a jewelry vendor who can't unbend a paperclip.
Read the issue →An orange tent hands out $25 in Market Dollars to anyone who asks. A wine tasting with Boland Thomas Vineyards, and a soggy set from Richie Stearns and Friends.
Read the issue →Inside the Library Space's evolution from book cart to craft tent, plus tinsel braiding, herbal tinctures, and a chicken bowl worth standing in line for.
Read the issue →An orange tent by the stone steps hands out no-questions-asked Market Dollars to anyone experiencing economic difficulty — spendable on anything in the market, from produce to soap to a Chicago dog. It runs on donations, and this season's funds are on pace to run out before the market closes on October 28.
More than thirty farms, wineries, food producers, artisans, and local businesses set up under the pavilions each week. Here's who's currently on the roster — find them, follow them, or just go say hi on Wednesday.
Got a question for The Accidental Reporter, a vendor we should meet, or a Wednesday moment worth writing down? This is the tip line. Cadan reads every one.
Story ideas, corrections, and "you should really talk to so-and-so" tips are all welcome — that's how most of these issues started in the first place.
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