I attended the opening of the 2005 Broad Ripple Farmers Market on Saturday, May 29. The new location in the east parking lot of the Indianapolis Art Center seems like a natural fit. The site is right by the river and the surrounding trees provide shade. I don't know how difficult it was to find parking as we came on our bikes. Most of the vendors were there. A few will come to the market when their products are available.

I talked to Gordon Jones from Hickoryworks. He and his wife, Sharon Yarling, make syrup from the extract of the bark of the shagbark hickory tree. We couldn't resist the puffs flavored with the syrup, sold by the bag at the market.

I had never heard of using bark to make syrup. "We make the world's original and only hickory syrup," explained Gordon as he gave me a sample. "Our hickory syrup has the same sugar content as maple syrup, 66% to 67%. The hickory bark makes a mellow tasting syrup." Wolfgang Puck recently purchased the syrup to use in the new restaurant at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. In addition to being available every Saturday at the Market, the syrups are also available on-line at www.hickoryworks.homestead.com.

Tracy Chapman, manager of the Carrollton Avenue Hubbard & Cravens, was serving coffee. Brad and Angela Hopper (Brad is the executive director of the BRVA) were at the market pushing Avery around in his stroller. He was asleep, so he didn't see much of the new market. Stacy Petcu, owner of Three Dog Bakery, was handing out treats to the doggie attendees. Other vendors offered breads, cookies, fruits, vegetables, flowers - live and cut, meats, eggs, and milk. It rained a little bit, but no one paid much attention to it.

I bought a black raspberry pie and an Italian quiche. That was about all I could carry on my bike. I need to get a basket. The pie and the quiche were very good.

Musician Steve Feldman, played guitar and sang. His music added nicely to the experience at the market. His CDs were for sale.

The Broad Ripple Farmers Market run every Saturday through October, from 7:30am to 11am.

The music line-up for the next few weeks (thanks to Nora Spitznogle) is scheduled to be....

• June 11 Joe Welch
• June 18 Hal Gerard
• June 25 Dave Petty
• July 2 Robert Scott
• July 9 Sharon and Doug McKnight
• July 16 Vonnie Scott
• July 23 Dave Golden
• July 30 Jason Schwartz & Jon Rajewski