Tawa Lions have commenced a Saturday market in the Dress for Less car park near the Takapu Road railway station in Tawa.
The market runs every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and offers a selection of fruit and vegetables with occasional attendance by suppliers of flowers, baked goods and crafts.
Two greengrocers appear to be regular attenders at this stage. One offers a comprehensive selection of vegetables including salad vegetables. The other offers a smaller selection of vegetables but supplements their offering with several types of fruit. A visit to both is recommended, as their range is complementary, and prices and quality can differ.
The vegetables are attractively priced, with the fresh asparagus at $2 a bunch sending us rifling through the bookcase for Digby Law’s recipes. It’s lip-smacking good, and helps us to think of spring while the weather tries it’s best to convince us that winter still holds sway.
Baked goods are available from one regular stallholder, while occasional participants offer a wide selection of cut flowers, potted shrubs and crafts. A feature of last weekend’s market was home-made furniture put together using undressed timber. The quirky shoe and gumboot holders and three- and four-legged stools were solidly built and nicely finished. A set of boot holder and small stool would make an unusual gift to greet visitors to the many houses that now maintain a “shoe-free” environment.
The previous week, a local church was handing out free 9 volt batteries to promote the campaign to change smoke detector batteries once a year at the commencement of daylight saving.
Hopefully the market will attract a busker or two to entertain the shoppers and replace the raucous caterwauling that was being played on a boom-box last Saturday. Perhaps the local pipe band might send the odd piper along to cheer us up and collect some koha for the band’s coffers.
Love this promotion of the local Tawa market and I just hope that someone has taken the idea of a piper, to entertain the punters, on board! Perhaps you might consider touring other markets and giving your thoughts on them too?