Weekend Best Bet: Green Market Returns & Other Fun Stuff

Delray’s GreenMarket is a local tradition

You know “season” is around the corner when the choices for your weekend expand exponentially.

Here’s our recommendations for the best bets this weekend:

The GreenMarket Returns

The Delray GreenMarket will begin its 18th season on Saturday, October 19th, returning to the Old School Square Park for the second year. The Market will take place every Saturday morning through May 10, 2014, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The Delray GreenMarket is a favorite weekend destination for many local residents and visitors, offering fresh produce, plants, baked goods, gourmet food items, and other unique fare from local vendors in an open-air setting. With free live entertainment each week, playground equipment, and a variety of special events, the Delray GreenMarket is a fun and educational experience for the whole family.

Thanks to a collaboration with the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, there will be more kids activities at the Market this season. The nonprofit will debut its “Budding Artists” booth, offering fun, meaningful crafts each weekend using natural and recycled materials. Crafts will be led by art teachers from the Center for the Arts, assisted by volunteers from Atlantic High School.   “We’ve always wanted to offer more quality kids activities at the Market,” said GreenMarket Manager Lori Nolan. “The Delray Beach Center for the Arts is the perfect partner, and we’re glad to have them on board this season.”

Many new vendors are also joining the market this season – offering products such as paella, Thai tacos, fresh baked fruit pies, pet products, and tropical fruit trees – while many familiar vendors return. With space for more than 60 vendors, the Delray GreenMarket will offer shoppers a wide variety of products.

The Old School Square Park is located on NE 2nd Avenue, a half block north of Atlantic Avenue. Free public parking is available immediately north of the park, in the Old School Square Parking Garage, at the southwest corner of NE 2nd Avenue and NE 1st Street. Valet service is available at the garage after 10:00 am, with a fee of $2/hour.

The Delray GreenMarket is a project of the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency.

Elvis is in the Building (or park)

Scott Ringersen is the King

Start your weekend early with a dose of The King.

Scott Ringersen, one of the best Elvis impersonators you’ll ever likely to see, will perform a free concert Friday, Oct. 18 at  7 p.m. at the outdoor pavilion at the Delray Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave.

  Enjoy gourmet food trucks, and they are truly fabulous. A cash bar and limited chair rentals are available. Bring your lawn chairs and bring the family, but PLEASE no pets or outside food/beverage.

P.S. Little known fact: Scott Ringersen was once a Delray Beach Police Officer.

Tommy Can You See Me? (Yes, at the Crest Theatre)

While you’re visiting the Delray Center for the Arts you may want to check out a guest production of The Who’s classic “Tommy”, featuring the music and vision of Pete Townshend.

The show runs Oct. 17-27 at the Crest Theatre.

For tickets and information, please visit entractetheatrix.org

Shows are Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $20, children 12 and under $10 and group rates are available.

The Legendary Duffy Jackson

Jazz legend to give master class this weekend

This weekend only, jazz great Duffy Jackson will play Delray’s famed Arts Garage (www.artsgarage.org).

By his 18th birthday, drummer  Jackson was touring the country with Lena Horne.

At 20, he was performing in concert with Sammy Davis, Jr., and appearing on the popular weekly TV show, “Sammy & Company”.

 Since then,  Jackson’s powerful, swinging style has driven such big name bands as Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Lionel Hampton and Illinois Jacquet. He’s also performed with such Jazz legends as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Stan Getz, Buddy Rich and Harry “Sweets” Edison to name a few.

This weekend, he will perform alongside vocalist Michelle Amato, best known for her work with Yanni and Cirque Du Soleil.

Performances are Friday at 8 p.m. a master class($10)  Saturday at 2 p.m. featuring a lesson on “how to swing” with a question and answer session and autographs and photos, followed by a Saturday evening performance at 8 p.m. and a Sunday evening performance at 7 p.m. For tickets please visit artsgarage.org.

Have a great weekend!