A Somewhat Damp Taste of Grand island

On October 3rd, I went to the fourth annual Taste of Grand Island. When I left the house, the wind was lightly blowing, which was a big relief because, earlier, the wind had been howling. I thought that the wild wind was finished. Unfortunately, I was (gasp!) wrong!

The weather was not good but that didn’t deter too many people from participating in the event. There were a few who canceled their participation, such as the Grand Island Historical Society. There were too many historic documents that are relatively fragile and that does not go well with rain and wind.

Food, on the other hand, can be consumed in all types of weather. A wide variety of food was available for purchase.

Food, of course, is always delightful, whether it is food from restaurants or food that you make at home. At a produce stand, I bought a box of cherry tomatoes that had just been picked on Friday. At another stand, I bought a bag of carrot noodles. I’m looking forward to cooking them and putting something yummy on top… a tomato sauce, pesto, etc.

There were, of course, non food vendors. These two happy ladies sell Mary Kay products. Their names are Cathy and Melinda. I had to take their picture because they never stopped smiling! I entered a contest after Cathy let me know that “everyone wins.” I love a contest like that. They also gave me a free sample, which was very cool.

The Taste of Grand Island was also fun for our canine friends and their human companions. It is always great to go to an event where you can bring your dog.

The Taste of Grand Island occurs at the beginning of autumn, which is when the harvest comes in. All of the squashes and other foods are beautiful, as well as delicious.

Pumpkins are great. I am looking forward to buying a few small pumpkins for the porch and, after Halloween, baking pumpkin bread and toasting the seeds.

There are people who come to the Taste of Grand Island, who have messages to share. We had people advocating for residents to take better care of their septic systems. We had a few political candidates, who had a booth. I got a pencil with two erasers, which sort of resembled a judge’s gavel.

We had a group that is working on establishing a dog park on the west side of Grand Island, in the town’s Nike Base recreation center. The hope is that this will connect with a planned trail on the west side of Grand Island. This planned trail is going to be built to fill in a huge gap in the Niagara River Greenway. It is to connect Buffalo/Tonawanda with Niagara Falls. The dog park will be a great place for people to take their dogs so they can run around off leash.

The map above is the proposed Nike Base trail, which would include the dog park.

There were also businesses which were advertising products and services. No, I didn’t abruptly get the urge to take a bath because I saw the tub outside. It was quite a sight. I did, however, find a booth being tended by a licensed massage therapist. She gave me a free chair massage, which felt great! She also gave me a coupon for five dollars off of my next massage, which may be coming up soon!

Yummy! What a wonderful collection of pasta!

Kids had the opportunity for entertainment, too. There was music. The music tended toward the “oldies,” but it was still fun dance music. There were ponies available for kids to ride.

The pony needed to experience a taste at Grand Island, as well.

I’m not sure how appealing bacon-wrapped jalapenos would be for me but I’m a fuss budget and not a fan of sharp, spicy food. If I feel the need to drink out the garden hose, the food that is causing that desire is not for me.

Despite the weather, the Taste of Grand Island was a lovely event in which to welcome in autumn (even if it did feel like winter!).

This is what it’s all about. Beautiful things that grow and taste good and are nutritious besides.

This is Woods Creek in the Town Commons. This is what a healthy creek bank should look like, with lots of native plants. It made a good setting for the Taste of Grand Island.

My next activity will be the CROP walk, at Beaver Island State Park. It is an annual walk to end hunger, both locally and worldwide. I’ll post later about this event.