Monday, September 17, 2012

Veganmama on the road: Waterville, ME

This past weekend we drove up to Waterville, ME (my birthplace!) to visit my beautiful, 90-year old grandmother.  She lives right off of Main Street, and since I was a little girl, one of the things I like to do is walk up to Main Street and explore.

When my mom was a kid, Waterville's Main Street was fancy. The way small city downtowns used to be in the 1950's. It makes me sad that my children live in a world mostly made up of Targets (as much as I love Target!) and we drive everywhere, because there is nothing sweeter than walking to a small old-fashioned downtown and supporting local businesses.

So yesterday we walked downtown and checked out Barrels Community Market, located on 74 Main Street.  When I walked in, my internal dialogue went something like this, "Really? Are you kidding me? This is right here in Waterville, ME? WHAT!!! Why don't I have one of these places at home? This is where I'd work! This is my kind of place!!" Amazing!!

Let me share some pictures, and you'll know what I mean!


 How can you not love a store that has this guy out front? Not only is he cute, he's giving a double thumbs up! Extra positivity!


As if the produce doesn't just light up the room with color, the actual building and space are beautiful as well.


REAL maple syrup, my favorite natural sweetener.


 The honeycrisp apples we bought were outstanding! Hurray for fall!



 Seeds of all sorts, for those of you who garden :)


 Kicking myself for not picking up a bag of these homemade Grapenuts. Bad move, right?


 Seaweed is so great for seasoning soup stock. Not just for sushi, my friends!


 The guitar player in me loved this. An affordable, interesting hanger to hang your guitar on the wall.



Looks like a place you'd find in Brooklyn, NY, right? 


Please check out their website to learn about who they are and what they're all about :)

"Barrels was established in June of 2009 with significant public input as a true community market, where goods and services will be accessible to all members of our community. The market was named after The Barrell Block, the historic building in which it is located, and the sense of abundance and rustic charm that we seek to create in the space. Waterville Main Street, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Waterville, serves as the parent organization.
Today, Barrels is a nonprofit market that sells locally produced goods at affordable prices in the heart of Downtown Waterville. The market also offers a wide variety of educational and volunteer opportunities and provides a community event space to showcase an array of great programs."

Thank you, Barrels Community Market. David, it was lovely to meet you! I'll be back the next time I visit Maine!

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