Saturday Market and Father's Day!

Visiting my family this week-end, we headed into Eugene this afternoon to enjoy some local culture!

The Eugene Saturday Market is the oldest weekly open-air crafts market in the United States. Opened in May of 1970, it has run from April through mid-November, no matter what the weather is, for 50 years!

Begun by hippies back in the '70's, I remember you could find a lot of tie-dye at the market back then.

And it's still here today!

But of course it's evolved into much more since then. You'll find a variety of handcrafted goods artwork, jewelry, clothing, and craft furniture here. Vendors also sell homemade jams, breads, soaps and honey.

Oh and if you're lucky, you'll see an original hippie bus here too!

I told my parents this should be their Christmas card picture this year! 😂

I have so many memories of being downtown Eugene when I was a child so it's nostalgic to come back down here.

I can remember coming to this very fountain that hasn't changed in 50+ years!

While tie dye, and more tie dye, still abound at the Saturday market, I passed on purchasing any of it...as I have for the past 50 years! 😂

Back at my mom and dad's in the afternoon, we got to chat with these two Patty men in Albania!

And then it was time to celebrate my dad for Father's Day (early...since I have to leave at 6 AM tomorrow).

My dad is the kindest, most generous, loving and supportive dad - it was a joy to get to tell him that in person!

And enjoy with him my mom's strawberry shortcake to celebrate!

I was watching the light outside, hoping for "golden hour" to take a few pictures. I think we got it!

My dad brought out a ladder and my brother figured out how to prop my phone up on it so we could take that family photo on this lovely evening.

And I snapped a beautiful one of my mom and dad too!

We finished out the day by looking at some old photo albums, enjoying sweet memories of the past.

There were even a few cute notes that they'd saved, like this one from Claire when she was 8 years old!

Not sure why she called my dad "Bop-it" back then! 😂 He is always and forever Bapa!

What a perfect two days here with my family in Eugene! So thankful for them, and for these days we got to be together on this Father's Day week-end!