Colorado Farms & Art Market
Last Saturday my husband and I wanted to do something that wasn’t too expensive, too far away and that would be outdoors. Well I remembered reading about the Colorado Farms & Art Market at the Margarita at Pine Creek in the Colorado Springs Independent and had never been there so we went.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, the Margarita (7350 Pine Creek Road, 598-8667, www.margaritaatpinecreek.com), hosts the Colorado Farms & Art Market, featuring fresh produce and products from Colorado farmers, Artists displaying their wares, live music and great food that gives the whole event a mini festival feel.
We didn’t get there till about 11:30 so there wasn’t a lot of produce left, but what there was, looked fresh and was fairly priced. Besides organic vegetables and fruit, there were booths that offered grass-fed beef, eggs, honey, cheese, herbs, plants, Bonsai, jewelry, paintings, prints, cards, soaps, lotions, pottery, clothing, breads, salsa, jams and jellies, tamales, kettle corn, spices, pastries, dog treats, nut butters, gluten and dairy free baked goods and worm castings!
The Colorado Farm & Art Market is a cooperative farmers market that is owned and operated by the participating member vendors, including farmers, artisans, and licensed processed food vendors www.farmandmarket.com . The market held at The Margarita runs till October 13th and they also are at The Sculpture Garden at the Fine Arts Center on Wednesdays from 3-7 p.m. till October 10th (30 West Dale Street, on the corner of Cascade and Dale Street).
After shopping (got a beautiful necklace my husband bought for me), we headed to the shaded patio to grab a bite to eat and listen to some live music. The Margarita itself is closed for lunch on Saturdays but there’s a grill on the patio where you can watch some really delicious meats be grilled up or choose from yummy looking pastries. A basket of chips and house salsa is $2.50 or you can order some homemade humus and vegetables with warm pita wedges (the humus was really fresh tasting and had a slight kick to it). My husband ordered a pork taco ($3.00) which was slow-baked and then finished off with a quick grill reheat and I ordered the BEST pork brat ($5.50) which was served on a homemade bun that I topped off with sauerkraut and caramelized onions and some house-ground mustard. Delicious! As we sipped Bloody Marys and ate, all the while listening to some great live music, I told my husband I felt like we were on vacation. It was in fact the exact type of place we would seek out if we were on a vacation; relaxing, fun, with a local feel to it and beautiful views. I wish I had visited before but better late than never!
I wish I would remember to take pics BEFORE I dig in….would make the food shots look a lot prettier!
While we relaxed we listened to some incredible live music by Jody Adams, www.jodyadams.com, who has toured and worked with several acoustic and Americana groups in his career, including Alabama, Lee Greenwood, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs (just to mention a few). We bought his CD called Bloomin’ Strings ($15) which is a 16-instrumental collection of Irish, Celtic, Old-Time Mountain, Bluegrass, Folk String, Acoustic and Down_Home music featuring Jody on Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Lap Steel and Guitar. I wanted it specifically for our next gathering of friends for a cook-out because I thought it would be fun music to have playing while we eat, drink and visit.
That’s Jody with the hat on….so talented!
And if you can’t visit the Margarita at Pine Creek on a Saturday morning, it would also be a fun place to visit in the evening for a drink or dinner….especially on their gorgeous outside eating area. We’re going back for a date night!
On to Pueblo: The Riverwalk
After we left and were headed home, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to go home and do yard work or chores so I suggested we drive to Pueblo and check out The Riverwalk because we had never been there. And let me tell you, we were both pleasantly surprised when we got there and saw how beautiful it was.
Pueblo’s Historic Arkansas Riverwalk (“HARP”) is located right in the heart of downtown and spans a 2 mile loop over what was once the natural course of the Arkansa river before it was diverted in the 1920’s to its current location. My husband and I enjoyed walking around and looking at all the water features and just enjoying the day. This would be a great place to bring a picnic lunch with the kids too. And it’s free!
There’s several different boat rides offered that are inexpnsive and would be fun for adults and/or kids. The narrated excursion boat tour runs through September and costs $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and military, $3 for kids ages 3-12 and is free for kids under 3. Pedal boat rides run from noon to dusk during the warmer months and each boat can hold 2 adults and up to 3 small children. It costs $6 for 1 person or $10 for more than one person on a boat…for a 30 minute ride. Or you can take a Venetian 15 minute gondola ride (prices are the same as for the excursion boat tour). There’s also a sunset cruise ($110) or a dinner cruise ($125).
While you’re there you can also check out the Veteran’s Bridge Memorial which is a functional tribute to those who have served in the armed forces. It’s enshrined with hundreds of names of both living and deat veterans from across the nation.
It’s a unique urban experience and just something fun and different to do…and a nice way to spend an afternoon without spending a lot of money.
For more information on the Pueblo Riverwalk….http://puebloharp.com/