Findlay Times

Findlay Market issued the following announcement on Nov. 26.

As we are about to enter the final month of 2020, a year filled with strife, I wanted to pause for a moment of gratefulness.

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year, as it is intended to be a time to gather, free of any expectations, gifts or galas. It is a time reserved for loved ones to sit around a shared table and reflect on the year gone by. It follows the spoils of summer and precedes the hectic month of December and its holiday cheer. Thanksgiving celebrates a harvest before the barren winter months ahead.

The last eight years at Findlay Market has brought to me a new appreciation for this cherished holiday. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving at Findlay Market are vibrant. They are full of preparation and planning, as the market vendors prepare to stock up on all the Thanksgiving favorites. It is a time when regular shoppers connect with their favorite vendors to produce their Thanksgiving feast. It is a time when annual traditions are renewed.

This year is a bit different as people grapple with the appropriate way to celebrate.There will be more questions and decisions for families across our region as they decide whether to gather, or not. Perhaps, many will decide to have smaller gatherings with more distance. Zoom is sure to get a final stress test, and Netflix better be prepared to stream all the holiday classics.

Regardless of the gathering size, I am hopeful that it provides the time (and space) for people to be with someone they love, and to pause and reflect on this year, but also to look forward to 2021 - hopefully a period with less virus and more togetherness. A time with less elbow bumps, and more hugs.

As I reflect back on 2020 at Findlay Market, setting aside some of the difficulty for a minute, I wanted to share some of the things I am thankful for:

*Vendors of Findlay Market - A group with as much worry and concern for their staff and customers as they are for the health of their business. Shifting frequently as new rules and regulations were passed down to ensure they could deliver fresh food to our community in a safe way.

*New Vendors at Findlay Market - It's been great to welcome new full-time vendors to the Findlay Market district, including

Makers Bakers Co.,Earthganics, Like Mom's Only Vegan, K&J Seafood Co, Spruce Nail Shop, High Five Salon, LK Findlay Market and Elm Street Social Club.

*Launch of New Shopping App - The Findlay Market Shopping App has welcomed more than 30 Findlay Market vendors to the app. It added a convenient and safe way to shop the market. The most frequent comment from users of the app.... "I didn't know vendor X sold Y." We hope this new way to explore what the market has to offer will result in people expanding their use of the market in new ways!

*Expanded Bunny Meisel Plaza - This new and expanded space will realize its full potential in the future, but we were happy to celebrate it's opening this year.

*Flavor of Findlay - A safe, distanced and successful annual fundraising event. Some of the new innovations (using both sides of the market, a robust online silent auction, etc.) are likely to be permanent fixtures of future events.

*Local Foods - It was great to see our local farmers continuing to feed the masses this year. A recognition and realization of the importance of a local food system in a time of global pandemic.

And I am excited as we look ahead at the rest of 2020, including the Holiday Market, Christmas Tree Sales, a successful and vibrant market during the holidays. Hopefully, 2021 will bring the return of traditions, events, and gatherings.

Most of all, I am so thankful for the Findlay Market community, of which, YOU are an important part!

Wash Your Hands! Stay 6 Feet Apart! Wear Your Mask!

~Joe Hansbauer, President & CEO

The Corporation for Findlay Market

Original source can be found here.

Source: Findlay Market