Setting the Table: A Market Nights Prelude
- May 8
- 2 min read
It is surreal that we are in two years of this series
Two years ago, we were just a few moms at the farmers market. Walking between stands; makeshift tote bags full of mysterious new items. We caught up, we laughed and we cried. Somewhere in between, we said it out loud:
We need to be more intentional about this.
We needed to ensure more than just quick check-in between busy schedules. We wanted something that happened in real time. Slow time. So we started creating it. What began as a simple idea has, two years later, become a tradition.
In partnership with Downtown Springfield Inc., we launched our very first Market Nights series and it became something we couldn’t have fully imagined.
So this year, before we reopened the table to everyone else, we set one just for us. A Market Nights Prelude to ground us in what this is really about.
We started the day at Chinatown Ceramics, where we met up to hand-paint our very own perfectly imperfect Market Nights plate. A piece that would follow us through the Market Nights season and beyond.
Later that night, we returned to our market night meeting spot and did what we do best: we built a table. But this time, we built it together.
Each person arrived with a small offering. We agreed everyone should bring a wine, a meat, a cheese, something sweet (like a chocolate or cookie), and something savory (like a cracker or baguette). Each contribution being meaningful and thoughtful. As a result, the table came together in the true essence of Market Night whimsy.
We didn’t regret that we removed the pressure of “hosting” and replaced it with sharing. It made us look back on why we even started this. With the idea that we are all in different places, but we all need each other as a village.
And everyone’s favorite part?
A soft opening into our Market Nights series launching Father’s Day weekend
We are leaning into Father’s Day as a different kind of celebration. Maybe dad is at the grill. Or maybe he’s off duty for the day. However you celebrate, our focus shifts presence; hearty favorites that represent this season.
The first farmers market of the season is May 16. This is your chance to slow down and choose ingredients out of interest, not out of routine .
Market Nights isn’t just something we host. It something Haley’s “Patty the Plate” says best:
"She's seen good food and even better conversation. We use her often and pass her freely"
Market Nights is the result of the shared value of gathering and realizing that the best parts of the night were the parts that happened organically.
This is your invitation to create that kind of space.
Watch the video of our first Market Nights Prelude:
