The constant teasing of autumn weather has been the cause of the electric surge on campus it seems.  Personally I’ve been thinking about pumpkins for the last 60 hours and it’s bound to drive me mad eventually, but all the gourd gawking is a direct result of an assignment I feel compelled to excel on, being my Small Business/Big Trend business feature for Specialized reporting.

My tramping through Arlington in search of the best small business to do my story on brought me first, but only briefly to the Downtown Arlington Farmers Market, located on Mesquite St. headed North – a little past the court house and over the train tracks and then WHAM just to your right is parking and Front St. where white tents will be plainly visible.  

The Downtown Arlington Farmers Market is open from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so I was straggling a little when I arrived around noon.  There were still plenty of pleasant people to speak with about my article, including John Carter, owner of Carter Farms in the Bowie area, who had a large variety of some of the most succulent looking produce I’d seen in a while.  His pumpkins caught my girl-friends eye, we had just purchased around 6 pumpkins from Green’s Produce and Plants over on Arkansas the weekend before, so my face immediately drained of color while I was simultaneously thinking about how pretty Carter’s looked and how much I really did like good-looking pumpkins.

This brush with the Farmer’s Market led me immediately down the rabbit hole idea of my article being something about local outdoor/indoor markets and their pumpkins.  Since I’d really kind of missed my chance with the Downtown Arlington Farmers Market due to my incompetence at arising before 10 am, and the article being due before they reconvened on Friday, I headed back to Green’s Plants and Produce with pumpkins in mind.  I learned as much as I could about where their pumpkins were from and I found the staff to always be genuinely polite and ready to answer any of my questions.

The UTA experience for me this week has been straight shot, sans chaser, legitimate, incessant learning in motion.  The cool 60 to 80 degree weather has been the best relief from the boiling suspicion that all that information being absorbed in your lobes is going to ignite any minute and set off a chain reaction among the student body of Maverick-orange-and-blue explosions, directly resulting from spontaneous human combustion.

Here’s whats going on this week:

After Dark in the Park; Friday October 8th 5pm to 11 pm:  Festival at the Living Science Center for young children. It features storytelling, a pumpkin patch, entertainment, and crafts. This day is specifically for disabled children.
Volunteers for this project will be helping with environmental education programs and games.
You can sign up to volunteer either by calling us or coming to our office in the basement of the UC.  Located at River Legacy Park.

UTA Ladies RAD self-defense class; Saturday October 9th, 9am to 6pm: FREE -RAD- Self Defense Course for all UTA Ladies – Faculty, Staff & Students- All materials and instruction are furnished at no cost.Please arrive at the MAC entrance at 9:00 am Saturday to be directed to the RAD classroom-MAC room 135. UTA Police, Certified RAD instructors, will help lead class participants in such topics as:
1. Self Defense and the law
2. Risk Awareness
3. Risk Avoidance
4. The Decision to Resist
5. Ten Basic Principles of Self Defense
Register on-line at uta.edu/police scroll down to crime prevention

Located at the MAC

GNISMER FARMS – OCTOBER PUMPKINS   

You Pick or We Pick

OPEN, OPEN, OPEN beginning October 1st, 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. October hours will be Tuesday through Sunday 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Don’t limit your fun to just picking pumpkins, there are many other tasty fruits and vegetables to be picked fresh from our garden  and some will be available for sale on the Wagon.    

Fall Estimated Schedule:

October - U-Pick Pumpkins

November – Egg Plant, Lettuce, Greens. Beets, Pie Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Peppers, Squash and more

December – Broccoli , Cauliflower, Cabbage, Onions, Pac Choi, Napa Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Squash, and more

Located at 3010 South Bowen Road,  76016 

More info:    817.469.8704       www.gnismer.com

The Downtown Arlington Farmers’ Market, still in the early part of its establishment, has seen great success in the short time that it has been in operation. Located on Front Street, near the central library and the newly rennovated Arlington Music Hall, the Downtown Farmers Market features an average of 25 booths each weekend. Originally open just Fridays, the market has expanded to Saturday hours as well. Fresh produce, locally made honey, art, and crafts can all be found; Farm fresh eggs and grass-fed ribeyes sell like hotcakes!

Joe heads up the main operations of the market, and it’s clear that, to him, this is way more than just some hobby. He works diligently to bring in new vendors and to keep the regularly returning vendors happy. He offers up the building he owns on Front Street to provide shade, he coordinates tent/canopy rentals, and he works hard to continually get the word out. A lifelong gardener, this former city council member understands full well all of the benefits that local farming brings — not just to our health, but also to business — and he wants to share these opportunities with the city of Arlington.

Joe spoke at this year’s Ecofest Arlington, which took place this past Saturday, September 18th. He talked to the community and festival attendees about what really happens when you support local growers, versus the big corporate farm entities. Local food, he says, is not only better for healthier living and better quality products, but it’s great for the local economy.

When you purchase tomatoes from the farmer from Mansfield, the money from the sale stays within the local economy. Not only that, a much larger percentage of the sale stays in the pocket of the farmer. Because the food is being sold directly from producer to buyer, there is no middleman taking a cut. It’s a win-win for both consumer and farmer — the consumer gets fresher, healthier food, and the farmer makes a larger profit.

To hammer home the benefits buying local, Joe has printed t-shirts (available at the DAFM) that say “Know Your Farmer!“. Joe reminds us that we value “knowing” our doctors, our dentists, our children’s teachers, our mechanics, etc. — knowing your farmer should be no different. Have questions about the freshness of food? Ask the farmer directly. He/she can tell you when the produce was picked, how it was transported to the market, and just about anything else you’d want to know.

Joe’s love for urban gardening doesn’t stop with the Downtown Farmers’ Market however. He is currently pursuing an idea to transform the city-owned land adjacent to the market into Arlington’s community garden. The concept centers on members of the community — folks like you and me — working together to plant seeds, nurture growth, and harvest its rewards. We share in the investment, as well as its success. Joe has visited the community gardens in other cities, like Coppell, to learn more about what it takes to make such a garden work. Besides needing cooperation from the city to use the land, a certain level of infrastructure is also required: water, security, etc….and of course, a dedicated crew to organize its implementation.

The potential is great, according to Joe, for what such a community garden can bring to this city. It can help educate people about healthier eating, and it can be a place for families to enjoy with their children. He believes it will attract Arlington residents to participate more in the downtown area, creating buzz and bringing more patrons to the farmers’ market and other downtown venues.

Time will tell whether the community garden vision becomes reality. In the meantime, Joe and the Downtown Arlington Farmers Market keep on keepin’ on! The market is open Friday and Saturday mornings, from 8am til 1pm. For more information, visit their facebook page.

What do you think about the community garden? Have you been to the farmers’ market in Arlington? How do you feel about what the market does for local and small business owners? Share your thoughts with us!

Arlington business woman Connie Sheen is the owner of Mijo’s restaurant and catering service. Located on West Park Row, Mijo’s has been an Arlington favorite for 15 years.

Many of your traditional Mexican favorite dishes are available at Mijo’s, in addition to their custom creations. Their twist on a chicken-vegetable soup is out of this world, and the fajitas with grilled corn bits and superbly sauteed peppers and onions are the best around. The apricot chicken, though not always on the menu, is a Mijo’s hidden treasure not to be underestimated.

Connie is busy these days working on a second Mijo’s location in south Arlington, near I-20 and Green Oaks Blvd. The new restaurant is planned to open in October 2010.

The VIBE sends a special thank you to Connie for sponsoring the VIBE, and for providing great food and atmosphere for a recent VIBE get-together. Connie is a successful Arlington independent business woman whose success story is one we’ll continue to follow and share as the new Mijo’s location opens this fall.

To learn more about Mijo’s, visit http://www.mijosfreshmex.com/

This post, highlighting an Arlington woman, is part of a series commemorating Women’s Equality Day.

Shout-out to food-lover Shaleah Poster for letting us use his great photos of Mijo’s.

Mijo’s Restaurant in Arlington features Mexican food made with the freshest ingredients,
and a light touch that brings out bright flavor in every dish. They offer flavorful burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas…and reasonable prices too.

The Mijo’s “Fresh-Mex” Experience includes:

• Mijo’s fish tacos
• grilled Caribbean chicken salad
• homemade tamales
• chips and fresh salsa bar
• platters, starters, salads, nachos, desserts and lots more
• vegetarian meals

Mijo’s Catering adds the fresh zing of Mijo’s authentic Mexican food to any special event, corporate, school, church or family gathering.

Contact Information:
For more info on Catering Service and Menu, visit:
www.mijosfreshmex.com
or call 817-226-3001

The menu is simple, featuring an assortment of specialty drinks ranging from Arabic and American coffee, to be purchased by the pot, to a variety of fresh-squeezed juices, to the mint or sage teas.

Appetizers range from traditional salads, such as Greek and Caesar with Chicken, to native Lebanese dishes like Tabbouli (tomatoes, parsley, and onions) or Fattosh, to Custed Lintel Soup, or Hommous — a Mediterranean appetizer that consists of chickpeas pureed with tahini sauce, lemon juice, and a hint of fresh garlic, all of which is served with olive oil and pita bread.

More Mediterranean dishes present themselves, most noticeably in the Mixed Maza Combo Tray that contains of a mix-match of a little bit of everything — Hommous, Baba Gannosh, Tabbouli, Fattosh, stuffed grape leaves (Dolmades), mixed pies (containing both lamb and chicken), Kibbee, and Falafel. There are also Greek sandwiches, called Gyros, that are one kebob skewer of char-grilled cubes of tender seasoned meat (lamb, chicken, beef), tomatoes, pickles, onions and tahini sauce wrapped and toasted in pita bread.

For dessert there is the Baklava, a Lebanese kind of walnut and cinnamon pastry, and the most winning compliment to a great meal.

Christina Bily works at the Beirut Rock Café part-time while also being in the nursing program at UTA. When asked what she liked most about the restaurant she responded “I like the food, the customers and the atmosphere.” Bily also commented on the hard work of owner Kassam Benjar who works side by side with his employees 7 days a week, 12 hours a day.

The Beirut Rock Café stands out among other less unique fast food stops located around the UTA campus.

More info: Call Beirut Rock Café at 817-860-5499

Leann and her nephew Grant
set up camp in downtown Arlington.

They seem to have chosen a prime viewing spot, directly across from First Baptist Church; from here the parade would travel south down Center Street. Another camper, Patti Conti, has seen the parade with her daughter for 25 years. On the eve of the parade, she told us that if the rain is too strong, they’ll move from the tent and head to their car. Only these two groups of campers were set up early Friday evening, but they told us that in previous years there have been bigger crowds as the night went on.

2010 marked the 45th Annual July 4th Parade in downtown Arlington. The Arlington Community Band performed the national anthem and provided pre-parade entertainment. A variety of participants, floats, and marching bands then started their trek at 9:00am, maneuvering through the city streets in front of thousands of on-lookers and several judges. 130 entries took part in this year’s parade.

All of Arlington’s High Schools were represented, as were various Scout troops, local small businesses, churches, veterans’ groups, and many community organizations. AISD, UTA, and TCC Southeast cruised on academia-inspired floats. Arlington’s Mayor Robert Cluck and other elected State and Federal representatives also rode along. National and regional companies included the Chick-fil-a cow, Fiesta stores, Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, and Six Flags Over Texas, among others. The funny Wheelie-ing Elvi, the ever-balanced Unicyclists, and many classic car groups were just a few who brought extra large smiles to the faces in the crowd!

The morning’s 4th of July parade festivities concluded with an award show. Held at Heritage Park on W. Front Street, the ceremony recognized parade excellence within each of several categories. A list of the 2010 parade award winners can be found here.

We can think of one possible parade attendee that was not at all missed — THE RAIN! It was absent for all of the parade, allowing for a much more pleasant morning.

Speaking of rain, it did not keep anyone away from the Levitt Pavilion Saturday night. Thousands came out to hear the Arlington Community Band, followed by Arlington-native and Nashville-Star winner, Melissa Lawson. Live music was also performed on the J. Gilligan’s stage earlier in the evening.

Weekend celebrations continued at Arlington Highlands the next day, which hosted its own Independence Day activities. Throughout the evening of July 4th, many friends and families gathered in and around the Highlands for live music, shaved ice, and a fireworks show. On this hot and muggy night, lines for Cold Stone Creamery and Jamba Juice were out the door…literally!

Around 9:30pm fireworks began, lighting up the eastern sky for nearly half an hour. Cars en route to find that rare parking spot just pulled over along side of the rode, and it seemed as if everyone paused at that moment, in collective silence, to respectfully watch the glowing images up above.

And there you have it. Another 4th of July has come and gone.
What did you do to celebrate?

Were you at the parade, or the Levitt? Did you travel on vacation?
Were you among thousands in Arlington Highlands? Tell us your Independence Day story!

See all of our 4th of July photos on our Picasa Web Gallery or on our Facebook page.

Mayor Robert Cluck

The Arlington Community Band

The crowd looks on at the Arlington 4th of July parade.

The 4th of July crowd at Arlington Highlands

nbsp;

The popular Arlington Farmers Market, created in 2009 by the Downtown Arlington Management Corp. is back for 2010, and is now open on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Arlington Market features produce typically locally grown, handmade, or produced in the north Texas area. Farm fresh eggs, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, broccoli, onions, sweet potatoes, lettuce, homemade bread and cookies, hand-made pasta, and honey are just some of the offerings! A limited number of non-food vendors will also be selling retail items such as soap, crafts, flowers, plants, and more.

Location: 215 E. Front Street, Arlington (the corner of E. Front Street & Elm)

Attendance is free.

The market takes place every Friday and Saturday morning, starting at 8am until 1pm or until the vendors sell out.

More information can be found at www.downtownarlingtonfarmersmarket.com and on their Facebook page.

Here’s a a video with Arlington Orthodonist and basketball fan Dr. Clay Ellis talking to one of his patients and friends, Tristian Williams and VIBE sports anchor Cole Wade.

The VIBE was there for the 2010 St Patrick’s Day celebration at J. Gilligan’s, located at 400 West Abram Street in Arlington.

We talked with happy customers, busy waitresses, owner Randy Ford, and the legendary Hill City Band.

Were you there?  Have you been in past years? See anyone you know in this video?

Country music  promoter Johnnie High died Thursday of heart failure at age 80.  He started his Country Music Revue in Grapevine back in 1974.  Through his 35 plus years in the business Johnnie encouraged many young singers and musicians and gave them a place to perform including country great Lee Ann Rimes.

In ‘95 he moved his show to Arlington where it continued to be a popular event every Saturday night at the Arlington Music Hall on Center St.  There are many fans and performers in Arlington and all over Texas who are thankful for Johnnie and the shows he put on. This Saturday’s performance has been canceled.

*****************************************************

The Downtown Farmers Market located at 215 E. Front Street in Arlington is now open again every Friday & Saturday morning at 9:00 starting March 19th.  A new year — New veggies!

Farm Fresh Produce   -   Fruits   -   Vegetables   -   Herbs   -   Organic Products

Have you been there?  What did you think?