Despite scorching temperatures reaching more than 100 degrees, the Farmers Market at Old Town Cottonwood saw an abundant turnout on June 8.
Perhaps it was the light breeze carrying scents of homemade goods that drew people into the small courtyard area in front of the State Bar on Main Street, where patrons seeking respite from the sun were invited to stroll through the pop-up market.
Nine local vendors offered a range of goods from homemade food items to fresh vegetables to body care products.
For a light snack, Alexa Alcala offered gluten-free granola made with locally-sourced and organic ingredients from a natural foods grocery store in Cottonwood.
“I get all of my ingredients [like cat claw honey and pecan honey] from Mount Hope,” she said. “[Catclaw] has an earthy-sweet flavor; I like to use the pecan honey in the pecan granola.”
For those seeking something a bit more substantial, savory sandwiches made with freshly baked foccacia were available at the Downstream Dinette and Let Go Skate Co. tent.
Freshly brewed iced teas and cold brew coffee were also available at Downstream.
Across the way, Tiffanie Lord Designs’ namesake and owner greeted patrons who came to admire her artfully-sculpted “succulent” candles, body products and digital art prints.
Lord, who wore brightly-colored Native-made hummingbird jewelry, spoke enthusiastically about her creations, which are inspired by the desert Southwest and Dia de los Muertos iconography, to name a few.
“I have a lot of fun, kind of getting my hands into everything,” she said. “I started just with painting and drawing.”
Lord’s products are also sold locally in Old Town, as well as a retail store at Tlaquepaque in Sedona.
Others included a Queen Creek vendor who owner, Audra Waddle, offered a variety of homemade, infused-honey spreads and body products.
“I do whipped honeys; that’s honey that’s crystallized to perfection to make a soft spread and then I add organic dried fruits or spices to it,” she said. “I make blueberry, lemon, strawberry, chocolate; I also have jalapeno.”
“Lemon is my personal favorite,” Waddle said. “Original, jalapeno or blueberry are my three favorites for [charcuterie boards].”
Also available at the market were microgreens and handmade jewelry, fresh vegetables and sunflowers and handmade tea blends from a tea company formerly located in Old Town.
Mother and daughter baking team Margot Bukvar and Margot Barre offered a variety of baked goods, including breads and pastries made from scratch with sourdough created from a “mother starter,” which is a live, fermented culture of flour and water.
“Every week you have to feed [the mother starter] or it dies,” Barre said.
According to Bukvar, sourdough gives baked goods a lighter flavor.
“My mom has been baking forever,” Barre said. “We started doing [markets] three years ago to be part of the community.”
Barre and Bukvar travel to a variety of local farmers markets, including Cornville, Sedona and Munds Park.
Later in the day, once the sun’s rays began to settle over the horizon, the band formerly known as Inde Ella and the Fellas, performed a set at the State Bar, where fans were invited to help them select a new band name.
So far, their new name has not been announced officially.
“We haven’t selected a name yet,” said the band, fronted by Danielle Glick. “At the moment, we are having anybody reach out to suggest names and then each band member is going to pick their favorite.
After that, everybody can vote based off of our selection this Wednesday both online and at our gig at The State Bar.”
