Bloomington Farmer's Market

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Bloomington Farmer's Market. Although the weather was gloomy and the overcast seamed to drain my energy, I couldn't help being uplifted by the high spirits and joyful people at the event. The food was delicious and the crafts were creative and unique but the music at the event was especially exceptional. It was very clear that the live performances by local artists brought in a large number of people. Families with children of all ages were enjoying themselves and seemed to congregate around the artists and musicians. The atmosphere was very lighthearted and comfortable— one of the musicians stated that he had been performing at the Bloomington Farmer's Market since 1979 because of the wonderful people he had met and friendly atmosphere associated with it.

The market is a great asset to the society and culture of Bloomington. Being the largest farmer's market in the state, it draws in a large number of people and publicity to the city. Even on the rainy day I visited, there were numerous people and none of them seemed disappointed. It seemed more enjoyable and personal because there was a face to face interaction between the person who created or grew the product and the consumer. In this aspect, the market was similar to participatory music. 

In participatory music there are no boundaries between artist and audience, similarly, there is no boundary between producer and consumer at the Bloomington Farmer's Market. Grocery stores such as Kroger are the primary way people of the United States purchase their  produce and there is no actual interaction between the farmer and the consumer. Just as grocery stores like Kroger are becoming more popular, high fidelity music is more common in the United States—where there is no interaction between the performer and the audience. I'm not surprised people enjoy coming to the farmer's market and experiencing this radically different (participatory) way of food buying. There is a more social and enjoyable environment with things to do such as the D.I.Y. craft section, viewing the parrot, and listening to live performances. Farmer's markets are not meant to be quick and convenient—but rather a more fun, social shopping experience that the whole family can enjoy.

Map

Artists and performers are identified by the musical note.
Location of the parrot is identified by the parrot symbol.
The radio broadcast booth is identified by the microphone.
The informational kiosk is identified by the "i" symbol.
Family/ Children traffic is identified by the teal.
Prepared meal stands are identified by squares.
D.I.Y./craft stands are  identified by triangles.
Produce stands are identified by the rectangles.