Vancouver, WA

I discovered Vancouver was hosting the annual Discovery Walk Festival International Walk Fest over the weekend of April 25, 26 & 27 late on the 26th. I wasn’t ready to enter any of the events, but it sounded like fun so I headed downtown about 11:00 Sunday morning. I haven’t been there in quite a while because for years there had been nothing to see or do downtown; I in for a pleasant surprise.

Concerned about parking, I left the car near WhoSong & Larry’s on East Columbia River Way and walked to the Hilton Hotel, located at 6th and Columbia, where the Festival was being hosted. There were still a few people milling about in front of the hotel, but I was disappointed. I expected to see different groups from all over the world. Saw a few people walking and others riding bikes, but not much else; the majority of the day’s activities were elsewhere. For those of you who want to be a little more prepared than I was, next year the event takes place on April 24th-27th, you can check out the activities at Discovery Walk.

The day had turned out to be warm and beautiful so I decided to salvage the trip by heading over to the Vancouver Farmer’s Market, located about a block west. It was now noon and the food vendors were the big attraction of the hour with nearly every type of food you could imagine. The BBQ smelled wonderful, but I had planned to do some walking and had eaten before leaving home.

I’m a plant lover, especially odd or unusual looking ones. I found a unique plant with the leaves of a primrose but the flower was awesomely different; deep purple, bell like flowers, on long stems. The vendor said the plant blooms eight months out of the year in a strange pattern of two months blooming, then a dormant period, then two months blooming etc. This is a houseplant known as a Cape Primrose, which can be set outside in the summer.

I walked the rest of the market and saw lots of cut flowers, hanging baskets, some jewelry, a bit of fruit and veggies but it is still too early for local produce. I expected more handmade items, clothing, woodwork, etc., but the market has only been open since April 5th and will stay open until October 26, from 9:00AM – 3:00PM Saturdays and 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sundays at 6th and Esther. There are several Park & Go facilities which provide all day parking for $1.50. For more information, check out their website: Farmers Market.