Photo Courtesy of Downtown Bloomington Association

This Saturday, November 23rd, The Downtown Bloomington Association will be hosting its’ 7th Annual Save the Turkey Thanksgiving Market. 

The event will take place inside the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Downtown Bloomington from 10 am through 1 pm, and will be featuring holiday gifts for the whole family. 

“We’ll have lots of fresh produce, choice meats, gourmet cheeses, decadent desserts, gourmet dog treats, honey infusions for tea, and more.” said Tricia Stiller, Executive Director of Downtown Bloomington Association.

All the produce sold at the market is fresh and guaranteed to come from the local community. There is also lots of organic and chemical-free produce available. 

Lots of other local vendors will be selling a variety of items as well.

“The David Davis Mansion and The West Bloomington Book Bike will be there,” said Stiller. “We’ll also have Gathered Illusions, which is a wonderful glass artist selling homemade Christmas ornaments, jewelry and other wonderful things like that. A face painter from Wild Style, live music from Stripped by Hippies, and more.”

Also at the market will be a BBQ Lunch Buffet, in the smoke house. 

The Downtown Bloomington Association hosts a weekly outdoor Farmers Market every Saturday from May through October, but also has an indoor farmers market starting in December. 

Every third Saturday starting December 21st the DBA will be hosting the indoor farmers market in the McLean County Museum of History from 10 am through 12 pm. 

The first indoor market, on the 21st, will be a special holiday market, and will feature goods from over 20 vendors. 

During the indoor market hours, access to the Museums exhibits will be free. 

Starting at the Thanksgiving Farmers Market, people purchasing food using a LINK card will be able to double the amount of their purchase up to $10. 

This year from June through September the DBA Farmers’ Market has received $3,000 from LINK Up Illinois to double the value of LINK purchases. The program has been successful, and so far this year has brought in 172 new LINK customers. 

The Double Value Program is meant to raise awareness about the Farmer’s Market and also give consumers access to locally grown, fresh, and healthy foods. 

According to the Downtown Bloomington Association, in 2011 the market used over $4,000 from LINK Up Illinois and added 140 new LINK customers to the market. In 2012 the market used over $3,500 from the Heartland Local Food Network, which added 74 new Link Customers as well. 

For questions regarding the Double Value LINK Program you can call The Downtown Bloomington association at 309-829-9599 or send an email to marketing@downtownbloomington.org

For more information about the upcoming Thanksgiving Market or indoor farmers market, you can visit their website at http://www.downtownbloomington.org/farmersmarket or their Facebook at www.facebook.com/DBAFarmersMarket

Some of the exhibits available to see during the indoor market include the following. 

The Greening of the Prairie: Irish Immigration and Settlement in McLean County, which explores why Irish people left Ireland, the challenges they faced once they arrived, and their impact on the community. 

Fiesta! A Celebration of Mexican Popular Arts, features various forms of art done by people of regions all across Mexico. 

The Asian Indian Experience in McLean County explores the immigration of Asian Indian Immigrants in McLean Country, and their challenges to maintain their traditions, while also embracing American culture.