Salt Spring Saturday Market Surprise

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Friends have been telling me about the Saturday Market in Ganges on Salt Spring Island, for years. What’s another market, I thought. Lots of white tents, great produce, arts and crafts – what’s the big deal. But last week while visiting the Gulf Islands we were fortunate to spend a few days in Ganges and I was delighted that stay included a Saturday Morning.

To some degree my predictions were right. There were lots of white tents, red, blue and green sunbrellas, scads of shoppers and musicians busking here and there. But as I moseyed my way around I was really impressed by the quality of the goods. The jewelry was rich and varied from fine metal work to beautiful tumbled glass and hand-crafted beadwork. The pastries were everywhere—raspberry French tarts, croissants and pain au chocolate, crusty breads, Montreal bagels. I bought a pear “danish” and savored every bite.

As if all of this wasn’t plenty, the absolute highlight of my visit to the Saturday Market came by total surprise. As I entered the main pathway, I saw a small table with cds and books featuring a Baby Beluga game. Since we raised our kids on the song and sing it to our grandkids all the time, I stopped and was checking out the books. The man at the table was chatting with someone and I looked at him closely, then asked the woman next to me incredulously, “Is that Raffi?” Sure enough. In person. Turns out he lives there and has started a foundation called, “Child Honoring”. We chatted for quite a while. I was so impressed with his serene and absolutely lovely demeanor. He had no qualms when I asked if I could sketch him. I was over the moon with delight. After, I am a bona fide #belugagrad!