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My favorite thing about Denton is its ability to be a small town and nothing like a small town at the same time. This Saturday the planets aligned just so and the best parts of both worlds shined through simultaneously. Today I'll cover the small town bit, because it's my favorite.
I've always been stuck in either a big gross city or a totally unimpressive suburbia, so the small townish bits of Denton are a constant source of joy to me. On one of the first days after I moved here, I managed to "strand" myself on the main campus after the buses had stopped running to Discovery Park.* (See Footnote!) I was really bummed about it for about two minutes, and then I realized that the entirety of Denton is about 4 miles across, and a half-hour walk can get you pretty much anywhere in the city. It was a beautiful night, and the walk home was actually quite pleasant, if a little long. The little things like that are an unending source of novelty for me. Small towns are so much more convenient than big ones! Where I grew up, if I somehow wound up (assuming-I-was-) stranded at my old high school, it would have been a long, LONG walk along an extremely busy highway.
Small towns in Texas have an extra, added bonus that many other less-sunny states lack; Farmer's Markets. The best place to get fruits, vegetables, spices and humongous watermelons is always the place closest to the dirt they were grown in, and the Denton Farmer's Market is no exception. The last time I went was in October, and I picked up some amazing jars of local honey and spices that are single handedly responsible for the deliciousness that is my home-made chili.
I haven't been since October because, unfortunately, the farmer's market closes once winter sets in. I was under the impression it ran only from June to October, so I have been pretty bummed about having to wait until the middle of summer for my next produce binge. But this Saturday, that all changed… As it turns out, there's also a Denton Community Market, and it is EVEN BETTER than the farmer's market!
The Community Market has art, goods and PRODUCE! I don't have to wait 'til June after all! Opening day for the community market was this Saturday, April 10th, and it went pretty much perfectly. I missed it this time around due to work and a million different projects at once, but I'm definitely going to be there for the second one this season…
**FOOTNOTE: As it turns out, I was most definitely not stranded. UNT has a bus service to alleviate exactly this sort of thing. It's called e-ride and it runs seven days a week between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. It is pretty much exactly like The Knight Bus from Harry Potter. If you are a current or future student at UNT, I seriously recommend you put their number (940-565-4838) in your phone this instant.