Abe’s Farmers Market Essay, Research Paper

In the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, off of route 30, lies Abe?s Farmers

Market. The flea market covers approximately five acres of land. Hear you?ll find stands

overflowing all year with fresh vegetables, meats, herbs, baked goods, antiques, toys, and

crafts for people of all ages. The ground is covered with stones, and on a typical summer

day, dust is kicked up when you walk or drive around.

We visited on a Saturday in July when the temperature was a pleasant 84 degrees

and the sun was shining brightly in a cloudless blue sky. The weather seems to influence

the number of people at the flea market. It was such a lovely day, there were many people

prowling through the stalls. There is an inside market that is pleasantly cooler and stalls

were set up outside. It is amazing what is for sale at a flea market. Items are new, used

or antique. They range from flowers and plants to jewelry; tires to tools; record albums to

craft items, and many other items too numerous to mention.

Inside the market, the tables are piled high with different kinds of items. These sorts of

items continue behind and under all the tables. Signs are hung everywhere, saying what is

for sale or who is selling it and for how much. The aisles inside are narrow, because the

sale tables take up so much room. Some of the outside stalls are under a roof and some

are not covered. In bad weather, the merchants who set up outside are either out in the

elements or they don?t set up that day.

Many of the vendors have permanent stands that they set up every weekend. Some

vendors have regular customers who come back to see what new things are being offered.

But there are folks who just seem to stop by once and are gone, never to return. It is

possible for a person to set up a table just for one day. Instead of having a yard sale at

your home, you can, for a minimal fee, set up at Abe?s Farmers Market where you already

have many potential customers. There is a restaurant that serves all kinds of local food.

There are many booths for patrons to sit and eat or they can take the food with them as

they browse. The most famous food they have is shoofly pie; on Fridays, it sells for only

$1.00. We encountered sights, smells and sounds that were unique to Abe?s market.

There are many different types of people who visit the flea market. There are families who

come to shop for toys, clothes, and groceries. Antique lovers come to see what they can

purchase to add to their collections. The fragrance of flowers mixes with the aroma of

fresh baked pies, home grown pickles, and fried chicken. Babies are crying, people

laughing, customers and vendors discussing the price of an object. The most unique

sound that we heard was the people talking in many different languages.

Some weekend afternoon, when you have a couple free hours, travel to Lancaster

and visit Abe?s Farmer?s Market.

Bibliography

Michael Coffin “The way of Lancaster” june:1997