Those who wish to learn more about businesses and groups in our community will find this Saturday’s Maple Valley Farmers’ Market a perfect one—it’s Community Connections Day!

     Carol’s Maple Valley Floral & Gifts, Inc.  a long-time Maple Valley business, will host a floral design booth to show shoppers how to beautify their homes and hearts.  Shop owner, Robin Erickson,  will shop the Market and make floral arrangements that will be given away to random shoppers.  Additional booths will feature Maple Valley City Council, the Maple Valley Police Department,  Maple Valley Library Guild and the Maple Valley Community Center will share information and answer questions. In addition, Maple Valley In Focus a new local website which showcases stories  that make our town a great community through personal community member narratives will have a booth. This web-site also has available a community calendar which you can update with your events, post a job, or get in on a discussion about Maple Valley development.  And finally, the Jennifer Beach Foundation, a group that provides training, education, advocacy, and teaching tools to strengthen victims of child abuse and domestic violence, will also host an informational booth.

     Two of the Market’s major sponsors, the Voice of the Valley newspaper and Cedar Grove Composting, will have booths, providing information about their business and services.  The MVFM Board is grateful for its sponsors, from the many volunteers to its generous business donors. 

     Visitors will certainly want to stop at the Fountain Court Assisted Living booth, where senior residents will sell their handmade crafts, and then can wander on to the other artists’ booths—including Kim Lewis’ jewelry, beaded bags, rocks and rocks of all kinds; 4-Ever Memories fabric art and outdoor lights;  Pepo Park Soap and balms, all made by hand with natural, plant-based ingredients ; Bohemian Wrapsody’s home accessories;  Ducky’s Design silk screening; Yorkpatty Clothes, and Angela Ramsey’s jewelry. A new vendor, Three Lady Bugs Ceramics and Glass, will round out the artistic creations for sale.

     And, of course, every Market is rooted in its farm products—vegetables, fruits and berries, milk, flowers, lavender and alpaca products, fresh goat cheese, herbs and spices, organic meat, milk—complemented by prepared foods such as a freshly-baked bagel and a ice-cold organic iced tea with mint and lemon–to fuel the shopper as he/she makes the rounds of the 40+ booths.

     To fuel shoppers’ souls and aesthetic sensibilities, Ensemble Ballet Theatre will be performing at 11:00 a.m. Located in Maple Valley, WA, Ensemble Ballet Theatre is a non-profit youth dance company that emphasizes professional style productions, continuing dance education, and a positive atmosphere. Maple Valley Farmers’ Market, the “Saturday morning place to be,” is open from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Rock Creek Elementary School. More information on Maple Valley Farmers’ Market is available at (425) 463-6751 or at  info@maplevalleyfarmersmarket.org.  All MVFM fans are encouraged to “Friend us on FACEBOOK.”  Note:  This article was written by Brooke Dillon and posted by Victoria Laise Jonas.