Media Credit: Courtesy Accordian ensembles are a regular part of the landscape at Eugene's most popular weekend attraction: the Saturday Market. The Market has a wide variety of food, music, homemade crafts and interesting characters.

For nearly forty years the Park Blocks at 8th and Oak in downtown Eugene have been the weekend destination for locals looking for everything from fresh produce, to exotic foods, handcrafted clothing and jewelry, eclectic live music and people watching. About three to five thousand people a week frequent the market in hopes of finding that perfect little something they never knew they needed but now could no longer live without - a pair of gemstone earrings, some hemp shoes, a whimsical oil painting, or even an elephant ear and a Coke - it's all there and it's all from the laid-back and free-thinking people of the Eugene community.

The Saturday Market has prepared for Eugene 08: U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and the crowds that it brings with some of the regions top eclectic musical acts that will fill the stage line-up from open to close with something certain to please everyone. On such a hot and sunny weekend like this, its relaxing atmosphere will provide a perfect break from the hustle and bustle of Hayward Field.

The Saturday Market, open every Saturday from April through November since 1970, is a non-profit organization that strives to provide a low-cost marketplace for local merchants and artists. It is a weekly celebration of the freewheeling spirit of this colorful, easygoing West Coast town that is all inclusive and wholly accepting. It is a major supporter of local performing artists, featuring six sets of music on the market stage every week, reaching more than a thousand performances every year. Today will feature a diverse lineup ranging from the Celtic to the soulful with David Rogers starting things off bright and early at 10 a.m. with his original songs of the new West. The 11 a.m. hour is always devoted to performances for children, with this week featuring Rob Tobias performing soulful renditions of kids' songs. The day closes out with the Raventones playing a hybrid style of honky-tonk "hippy-funk" - something you are certain to only see in Eugene.

The International Food Court features 17 food booths with exotic cuisine from all around the world. The Market ensures that only the most original and unique dishes are given a spot in the food court. From Bangkok to India to Japan to Afghanistan, the whole world's delicatessen is represented. And being the hippie-friendly environment that it is, there are plenty of tofu and vegan alternatives available as well. The Market also makes sure that all of the booths meet Health Department regulations and are inspected by county sanitarians on a weekly basis.

The Farmers' Market, located across the street, features local organically grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, plants, and animal products. If it is from the ground, it can be found fresh at the Farmers' Market every week.

The Market has always tried its hardest to minimize its environmental footprint by utilizing a vigorous recycling program established as the prototype for Eugene 08's recycling efforts. Trash is pre-sorted at the receptacles into compost, recycling and trash. Last year, the Market diverted almost 90 percent of the trash that the site produced weekly into compost piles and recycling bins instead of into landfills.

All vendors at the market have put their souls into the food and products they are selling. Everything is handcrafted and 100 percent original and unique. No where else in the world can you find these crafts, foods, and outrageous characters.

agabriel@dailyemerald.com

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