In the Fall, downtown Chico events are in full swing. The events of downtown Chico are a huge part of the community, especially our Thursday and Saturday markets. The downtown events mean a lot to our town, they impact business, agriculture, and small local companies. These events give us a sense of community. This was shown when our markets were shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we rallied to make sure our favorite shops and restaurants wouldn’t get shut down. Now that we are out of the thick of it, we are so lucky to have these events and shops still here selling and supporting Chico.
The most popular place to hang out in the evenings between the summer months of April-September is the Thursday night market. The Thursday night market is downtown, housing tons of local businesses. Our local businesses are unique, especially Chico Creek Dance. They perform at the market, with multiple series of dances that they perform throughout the night. I was lucky enough to see all 6 of the dances that they perform ranging from ballet, hiphop, contemporary, and even musical theater.
I even was able to talk to one of their guest dancers, Lily Ferro. Lily is a Freshman at Inspire High School and has been taking dance for over 11 years at Dance Evolution. Her favorite type of dance to perform is Jazz, and she was one who performed a musical theater piece for the market. I asked her about the challenges about performing in a public place and she said, “It’s really hard to adjust..you normally don’t really see the audience’s reaction but when you are out in public like this you can see everyone.” I also asked about any funny moments that had happened while she was performing there. She said, “One time I was tap dancing and my shoe flew off and hit some guy in the face in the front row. He was fine but I was so embarrassed.” When Lily isn’t performing her amazing dance skills she likes to go to the BeesWax and Honey stand at the market. “The honey straws are my favorite thing to get from there”, she states. After I got to see Lily dance, I went and explored the market for myself. Since it was the last one of the season, there were a bunch of people. It was so fun seeing all the different foods and products being sold.
Another market in the downtown area that is not as popular, but just as fun as the Thursday night market is the Lunar Market. The Lunar Market is a small market on 254 E 1st St. The special thing about the Lunar market, is that unlike being held in the hot sun, it is under the night sky. From 6-9pm there are venders such as artists selling prints, thrift shops, baked goods, and jewelry. I even got the joy of speaking to Alexia Valentine. Alexia grew up in the Bay Area but she went to Southern California to go to college and work, then early this year she moved up to paradise. She used to work as an animator for Disney, working on the show “Loud House”. She worked on the TV show, the comics, and the movie. She is now getting to work at home as a digital artist and was selling some of her work at the Lunar Market. It was her second market ever and she says, “It’s been so fun seeing all the people that come through, as well as getting to talk to them.” The Lunar Market holds so many amazing people and it was so fun to go to. Since it was on a smaller scale, vendors were so happy to talk to people who came by and everyone was so nice. I am definitely coming back and you should go pay it a visit.
The last but not least the Saturday Morning Market. This morning market goes all year and it goes from 7:30am – 1pm. At this market you can purchase and sample fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. As well as local breads and pastries from bakers around the Chico area. There is also jewelry, postcards, and ceramics. A friend of mine who has been attending these markets with me, also went to the Saturday morning market, one of her all time favorite ones. Madi is an 8th grader at Core Butte and loves going to all of the chico events. She says, “my favorite part is all of the veggies and fruits. I feel like there are so many veggies that you can only get at the market!” The farmer’s markets is one of the big places to get fruits and veggies with over 10+ farmers at the markets all together. I am very glad that the community has all of this great produce.
Going to these events over the past week has shown me how amazing our community is. I always knew that there were a lot of people that supported these events but then I realized how many people really dedicate their time. Meeting and talking to people has probably been one of my favorite parts of all of this. A lot of work is getting put into everything that is being presented. Whether it is produce, art pieces, or performances. Chico is so lucky to have all of these amazing things.
