Source:  NCDA&CS, 3/7/11

From redesigning a room to tuning up a car, the State Farmers Market will host several events this month to help with improvement projects in and around the home. The upcoming events complement the market’s weekly offering of locally grown produce, meats, cheeses and Got to Be NC products.

The Spring Craft Fair, to be held March 11-13, will feature vendors offering homemade products that can be used in renovating a room or decorating a house. A variety of items will be available for purchase, including ornamental garden accessories, homemade candles, stained glass, pottery and spring floral arrangements.

On March 19, N.C. State University’s Department of Forest and Environmental Resources will host an event aimed at outdoor enthusiasts with its Arbor Day Celebration. Attendees can enjoy demonstrations on the importance of trees and conservation and receive one of 1,000 free redbud seedlings to be given away. In addition, children can adopt a plant to take home and grow in their own yard.

Saturday, March 26, the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina will host a free Car Care Fair. Owners can bring their vehicles to the farmers market for a visual inspection of neglected maintenance items such as oil, wipers, air filters, belts, hoses and lights.

The State Farmers Market will host other special events this spring: Gourd Day, Spring Herb Days, the “WPTF Weekend Gardener Show,” Strawberry Day, Crawfish Day and Blueberry Day.

Spring Calendar of Events
• March 11-13, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Spring Craft Fair
• March 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Arbor Day Celebration
• March 26, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Car Care Fair
• April 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Gourd Day
• April 8-10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Spring Herb Days
• April 9, 8 to 11 a.m. — WPTF “Weekend Gardener Show”
• May 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Strawberry Day
• June 4, 10 a.m. — Crawfish Day
• June 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Blueberry Day

Visitors also can enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables from market vendors, gifts and household goods at the Market Shoppes, Super Sod and Market Imports, and have a meal at the N.C. State Farmers Market Restaurant or N.C. Seafood Restaurant. For more information about the State Farmers Market, go to www.ncagr.com/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/.