Many smiling faces crowded the Student Center Green on Tuesday evening curiously looking at what local vendors offered as rays of sunshine broke through the overcast skies.

Around 14 different vendors set up underneath large tents, selling everything from cookies to mushrooms. Several campus organizations such as The Crisis, Advocacy, Resources, Education and Support Center (CARES) and University Culinary Services set up tables in front of the market.

At the CARES table, answering a question like “What does SNAP stand for?” or “How many food pantries do we have on campus?” allowed attendees to win free prizes including a color-changing cup or a pen. 

The first tent at the market featured fresh apples and apple cider from Woolf Farms. A long line of attendees anxiously waited for their turn to purchase their cider, including Milo Truax, a freshman botany major.

“I just got here, definitely going to get some apple cider,” Truax said. 

Ella Coombs, a freshman fashion merchandising major, felt similarly about the cider. 

“I saw a long line of people for the apple cider, that looked super good,” Coombs said. 

A bit further up in the market was Mămălagel’s Bagels, a bagel shop selling fresh bagels as well as baked bagel chips.

Sarah Hulea, owner of Mămălagel’s, was able to reveal a bit more about what she had to offer at the market.

“I have fresh bagels. I do boil them before I bake them so that is what makes them unique,” Hulea said. “I’ll take any variety of bagel that I make and we run it through a bread slicer and bake it in the oven to make bagel chips.” “Then I use the bagel chips to make a newer product called ‘Mama Mix’ which is my take on ChexMix.” 

Hulea said this was not her first time bringing the business to campus.

“I’ve been participating in the Kent State Farmers’ Market since it started and I also have been a part of Haymaker (a partnering farmers’ market) for at least three years now,” Hulea said.

Heading further into the market, attendees would find Lang’s Classics Pickles featuring an assortment of pickle jars. 

Mike Lang, owner of Lang’s Classics Pickles, said there is an assortment of pickle flavors, including garlic dill, honey habanero and lemon pepper. 

 “My pickles are handcrafted local,” Lang said. 

Talia Milewich, a freshman journalism major, was one of many who purchased pickles from the tent as she walked away holding one jar in each arm.

Lang said the market is a great place for students to shop around and find things that pique their interest. 

“This market is a very nice market for the students of Kent, the stuff that they sell appeals to that audience,” Lang said. 

Other vendors sold items like honey, rice krispie treats and permanently bonded bracelets. 

“The honey stand looked good,” Milewich said. “I saw they had the honey straws which was cool.”

Meandering further along the path of tents, attendees were met with the sweet smell of cinnamon sugar coming from Michael’s Confections.

Owner Michael Freetage explained a bit of what he had to offer at his tent, all while handing out a free cinnamon-glazed pecan to those walking by. 

“We got cinnamon glazed nuts, we got pecans, cashews and almonds,” Freetage said. “We got old-fashioned caramels and we got our nut dust which is ground up bits and pieces of the nuts for your ice cream or coffee.” 

Freetage said coming to the farmers market is always an enjoyable experience for him.

“This is always a good market, students always come out and support the market very well,” Freetage said. 

Right along the curve of the Student Center Green was a tent set up with live music. The sounds traveled across the entirety of the market, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Across from the live music tent was a large tent selling a variety of potted and hanging plants. Many attendees crowded around the tent looking for plants of their own to take home.

“I purchased this very fabulous, quirky looking, cactus,” Coombs said. “She is very special to my heart.” 

Other students were also thinking about taking home a plant of their own.

“I’m definitely going to look at the plants. I don’t think I can physically have any more plants stuffed in my room, but if I can fit another maybe I’ll get one,” Truax said. 

Passing the plants and heading to the final stretch of the market, several tents remained. These final tents contained Mediterranean Food, mushrooms, cookies and tea. 

Truax, Milewich and Coombs all said they plan to come to future farmers’ markets.

“It is just important for the students to show up,” Huleah said. “I know when I was in college many moons ago I would’ve enjoyed attending something like this.” 

Olivia Montgomery is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].