![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/market-680x340.jpg)
BLOOMINGTON – Summer brings more than 20 varieties of delicious, succulent melons to the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market.
![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/market-1024x683.jpg)
Local farmers choose rare and heirloom varieties and let them slowly mature on their vines until perfectly ripe so that they burst with juice and flavor.
A ripe watermelon has dull, not shiny, skin, and the lighter-colored part of the rind, where the melon rested on the ground, should be yellow or creamy, not green or white. A light tap to the rind should produce a hollow sound. Cantaloupes are high in vitamins A and C and are some of the most nutritious melons.
Featured Vendors at the Market
![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/tea-1.jpg)
Raji the owner and creator of Aahaa Chai, is from India, where spice is life. She grew up in a small town cradled in the foothills of the Western Ghats, enjoying several herbal teas made by her mom.
![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/tea-1024x683.jpg)
Knowledge and use of spices are an integral part of her culture – not just for the flavor profile of the spices but also for a much greater appreciation for their health benefits. Aahaa Chai is located in booth #A3.
![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/coffee-2-891x1024.jpg)
Located in Brown County, Brown County Coffee is a family business founded by Nick Schultz. For more than 17 years, they have carefully crafted each variety of 100% Arabica coffee to showcase maximum aroma, flavor, and body.
![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/coffee-1024x683.jpg)
All their coffee is roasted and delivered weekly, with “roasted-on” dates to bring their customers the freshest product. Brown County Coffee is located in booth #D3.
Music at the Market
This Saturday’s entertainment line-up features the return of Singer/Songwriter Nicholas Graham-Hall.
![](https://www.wbiw.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Nicholas-Graham--789x1024.jpg)
His music allows him to tell a story “in a couple of hundred words and a few chords.” Most of his songs are autobiographical in nature. He’ll begin a two-set performance at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.