Find fun and flavorful items at the Fallbrook Farmer's Market

It’s called the Fallbrook Farmer’s Market, but maybe it should be called the Fallbrook Farmer’s and Friend’s Market because, although the local farmers still sell their fresh produce, there are many craft and art works for sale as well as vendors selling shoes, cosmetics and other items.

Some have been selling their wares for quite some time and others are fairly new. Vendors come and go but a few remain constant. The variety found in vendors is one of the drawing cards of this fascinating, but small, market.

Some like to shop at the market because it gives the small business community a boost. Looking for some stylish shoes or some handcrafted turquoise and silver jewelry? The Farmer’s Market has both.

Carl Tamura, a local jewelry artist connected with the Fallbrook Foundry, has been selling his marvelous glass pieces for a while. He works with several different techniques, including fused glass and lampworked beads. He accents his pieces with silver, freshwater pearls and natural stones. He also creates raku ceramics pieces and said that he “represents some of what is going on down in the Foundry.”

He is adept at the bead-making technique called “lampworking,” which hails from Venice, Italy, and was a popular form of bead-making in the 19th century. It is a multilevel process that requires patience and skill. The beads are fashioned with a torch, then other colors are added to the surface to create beautiful designs. The result is a unique and beautiful piece of jewelry.

Tamura also works with borosilicate, which is a hard glass that requires high heat. The artist has been creating jewelry for over ten years and, for the time being, only sells at the Fallbrook Farmer’s Market.

Hilda Rivera is new to the Market and has been selling her clip-on hairpieces and wigs for just two weeks. She said that they are easy to use and look pretty. Her son, Oscar, accompanies her to the Market and sometimes entertains himself – and others – by splashing the water from the Village Square fountain.

Jim Heyenga and his wife Pati own a business called “Hey Pati Mae.” They market twelve varieties of pickles as well as canned beets and carrots. Their three relishes include Krazy Hot Dill, Definitely Dill and Apple Cider Sweet. The Krazy Hot Dill is billed as “Smoldering Fire!” They even market dessert – homemade fudge!

Have you heard of Grandma Lou’s Specialty Breads? Todd Doyle sells the moist and flavorful breads for his mother, who has been baking for three years. In addition to selling to some local restaurants, they sell the breads at the Market. A wide variety of breads such as almond nut, banana nut and blueberry nut are sold by the slice and by the loaf. Look for their special red, white and blue Fourth of July specialty breads made with cranberries, almonds and blueberries!

We can’t forget the local growers, either. Luscious red strawberries are available this time of year as well as other produce, including very green peppers. At other times of the year avocados and persimmons make an appearance.

So, come down to Fallbrook’s Village Square (corner of Main and Alvarado) on Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to eat some fudge, buy some flowers, invest in some new cookware or even get a relaxing massage from Bonsall Chiropractic for only a dollar a minute!