Early on Saturday mornings at Evergreen Brick Works, as the sun comes up, the pavilions are peaceful, the ponds are still and you can hear the birds singing.  It’s time for the Weekend Program team to arrive. Slowly at first and then in a rush, volunteers swing into action. Tables are set-up, signs are made, coffee is brewed and the farmers start to come.

What at first was a handful of people has turned to dozens – a veritable beehive of activity. Suddenly, it is 10 minutes to 8 am and there’s a final rush to get the last bits ready, the last vendors’ vehicles parked and the last signs in place.  The bell is rung and another market has begun.

From 8 am to 1 pm, the pavilions are filled with hungry, happy people with a passion for local, sustainable food.  Over these short hours, hundreds of visitors are welcomed and everyone experiences the magical sense of community.  Kids are having fun and getting their hands dirty. Workshops are happening and food is everywhere.  Art is being created and people are exploring. Volunteers are spread out across the site ensuring everything is flowing smoothly.

Before you know it, 1 pm has arrived and it’s all over.  Farmers are packing up what little is left and heading home.  Volunteers and staff are putting everything away and cleaning up the site.  The last shuttle bus heads back to Broadview.  The last of the team is saying their goodbyes. The pavilions are quiet and you can hear the birds sing.

Every Saturday morning this happens again – come out and be a part of the magic.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 at 9:23 am and is filed under Events, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto, Transformations, Volunteer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.