Evenings for Two

What a combo. As you know, I think the greatest events always have good food/wine and “something else.” This event has it all. Every Saturday during the summer Saxapahaw holds its farmers market from 5-8pm. Forget getting up at 0’dark-thirty on Saturday morning to hit the one in Carrboro or fighting the crowds at the state on in Raleigh. Purchase big succelant tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and bight zinneas while you listen to live music on Saturday night.

The band last night was Old Habits out of Raleigh and they were fantastic. They played a two hour set in blinding heat from 6-8pm. They even kept going when it started to rain around 7:30. It was a foot tapping , energetic combo of traditional bluegrass/North Carolina folk intermixed wtih “bluegrassed-up” versions of hits by The Band, Bob Dylan, and The Grateful Dead.

The crowd was amazingly intergenerational. College students, young families and older couples brought picnics, blankets and camp chairs to this rural location — about 15 or so miles from Carrboro–and just relaxed and enjoyed the music. While I think this is a great date night, it’s also a great family activity. A couple that is somehow affiliated with The Great Outdoor Provision Company runs all kinds of kids activities. The highlight is the giant canoe/waterslide. If you go – have your kids take bathing suits.

We brought a picnic last night, but you don’t really need to. The farmers market offers fresh goat and cow cheese, artisan bread, and a whole booth of nothing but tempting deserts. There’s also a handmade crafts area and one of those vans that sells BBQ sandwiches out the window. We also brought our own wine/beer (as most people did) but Benjamin Vineyards was doing a free tasting and selling wine by the glass and by the bottle on site.

By the way – there’s no admission charge and no cover. The band does pass a hat and we always try to make it worth their while to come back.