Fall Fun at Virginia Beach Farmers Market

Click any image to get this look!

Click any image to get this look!

I took a trip down memory lane today with a visit to the Farmers Market in my hometown of Virginia Beach. With west coast living coming soon for our family, I thought it'd be a good idea to begin capturing scenery from some of the landmark features in my native town. After all, Virginia Beach is a resort city with lots of attractions to please any traveler.

The Farmers Market has been around longer than I have. It's one of those home town market places where you can expect to find what we know today as "organic" harvested fruits and vegetables in little market stores that lock up around 5pm each day. Quaint and charming it is, indeed! A place that I apologize for neglecting to visit since I was probably five years old on my kindergarten field trip! It was meant to be that I would learn so much more as an adult on my revisit some 30 years later to appreciate this nostalgic little market place.

Click any image to get this look!

More than just produce and pumpkins, the Farmer's Market maintains a calendar of special events, includes a variety of vendors from seafood to soap makers to garden shops, and it also maintains an on site educational program. Although we arrived purposely after hours to snap hundreds of photos for our own style shoot, we were noticed and eagerly greeted by Erica, the city's Farmers Market Supervisor and Jenny, who is the city's Rural Community Coordinator. These ladies had just worked a 12 hour plus shift, which included a huge event this day featuring autumn apples (yum ;-). None of this deterred their warm kindred spirits as they welcomed us like they were just opening up the Market for a brand new day. Erica offered us a private tour to introduce us to the Rural Heritage Center that they have onsite. The tour includes hands on activities designed for kids to experience past and present farm life, like churning butter, pumping water and learning about vegetables and pollinators. I was the big kid in our group of two, so of course I indulged in the activities!

Click any image to grab these accessories!

Y'all! I milked Beachy, the cow (she's a fiberglass cow ;-). I washed clothes with a washing board, and I was grinding corn all the old fashioned way, while wearing today's current fashions! I wore my new cozy-chic, "Saturday Morning Cardigan". A chunky knit that's fall trend forward with a pop of color. This oversized look is available in two other softer colors. I chose to really amplify my autumn in Sapphire blue. I'm enjoying the mix of bold colors and rich textures in unexpected layers, just like we recently saw on the runways of New York Fashion Week. Don't even judge when you see me in this look over and over again throughout the cold weather seasons. Just call it my "life cycles" look, inspired by my long overdue visit to the Farmers Market...An experience of the old to appreciate the new ;-) Isn't that what fall is all about, anyway?!

The Virginia Beach Farmers Market is open 7 days a week for your shopping pleasure. The Rural Heritage Center offers year round group visits and would be pleased to welcome you. Teachers and parents are always free! There's a ton more for you to see, learn and interact with. You can visit the city's site or schedule a tour HERE.

Oh, and let me know if you are going to be in town!