Saturday Market on Game Day

Katie D.

September 10, 2011 - 7:00 PM

As a non-football fan, I am certainly in the minority in this town. On game days, the town goes crazy in some ways. Fans go all-out, from costumes to car decorations. And you can hear Autzen Stadium from an incredible distance away. I love that folks get so passionate about our students, and that people come together for an event like that. But personally, I can't find it in me to get worked up about sports. So instead, I take advantage of the ghost town Eugene becomes during a Duck game.

In the past, I've used game time to do things like going to the campus student union (EMU), which has suddenly emptied, or even to the gym where there will be no competition for space. Sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong with me that I don't have the sports spirit. But mostly I'm happy to have my choice of weight machines.

Today I went to the Eugene Saturday Market. It was the first time since last year's market, and being there made me so incredibly happy. There is something of a carnival at the market-the variety of goods and entertainment is astounding, but sometimes the best part is the people-watching. I wandered around familiar booths, and considered, as always, how I could furnish an entire quirky house with the funky decorations and handmade practicalities offered there. They offer everything from spoon rings to wooden spatulas, with a healthy quantity of tie-dye thrown in.

But today I was there for the vegetables. I love buying the fresh, local produce from the farms around Eugene. It's a grounding experience to see what is actually in season here, and to witness the bounty of this rich farmland. For whatever reason, either legitimate or psychological, I always feel strongly that I am more satisfied by this food than anything I could buy in a big store. That might just be my ideology showing, but to me it always feels like I'm connecting to this place, and getting a better meal for my efforts. In any event, I purchased spinach, squash, broccoli, tomatoes, and apples from the farmers. Then I went and made my most anticipated purchase of homemade jam: a peach/ jalapeno pepper concoction that is one of my favorite tastes on record. Delicious.

I was struck by something new today. I felt like everyone around me was being unusually friendly. I'm an outgoing person, and I generally find that people are open and kind to me. But today was off the charts somehow. Everyone I made a purchase from was chatty and funny, and the small crowds were extremely polite. It's possible that traveling has made me more sensitive to this kind of cultural expression, or it's possible that I am just happy to be in Eugene. Whatever the cause, it seems like the folks in Eugene are some of the nicest I have encountered in the world.

Now that I've written that last sentence, it seems like I must just be trying to say that I am happy to be back, and I'm willing to make vast generalizations to explain that happiness. But either way, I feel it strongly: welcome, happy, home.