Saturday morning, the Downtown Natchez Farmers Market opened for its summer run, but if you think the market is just about fruits and veggies, you’re missing out on its true appeal.

Begun last year by the City of Natchez with the help of several sponsors, principally Home Bank, the farmers market was created after one operated by Alcorn closed.

Alcorn’s was successful for years, but was housed in a building, giving the feel of going to a store.

Patrons to the new city market get a more unique experience than just going to the grocery store.

Think street fair meets family reunion.

Last year, my daughter Anna and I made it there most Saturdays. It’s not that she likes vegetables all that much, though she is a shopper at heart, she simply liked the experience.

She’s been dying to take her little brother James, who didn’t make it last year. As a result, Anna was up bright and early Saturday, and we headed out the door sometime just after 8:30 a.m.

She proudly walked next to James’ stroller as we perused the offerings and caught up with familiar faces — a few of which we hadn’t seen since last year’s market closed.

In a 20-minute span on Saturday, we probably talked to a dozen or more people, from farmers to other customers, from complete strangers to longtime friends.

Among my favorite memories of Saturday morning was simply listening to the noises around me.

As a singer belted out tunes near the corner of Main and Commerce streets, the conversations were fun to hear, even if only in passing.

“Good morning, how are y’all today?”

“The clouds are giving us a break from the sun. It’s beautiful right now.”

“Look at you! I haven’t seen you in years; how have you been?”

“They’re $5 for a basket. You can pick which one you want.”

“If you want something good, you need to try those cinnamon rolls. They’re amazing.”

“Yes ma’am, we grow all of these here.”

“Do you spray anything on these?”

“No ma’am. Nothing goes on these except a little water when they need it.”

“It’s a great crowd so far, and it’s still early.”

While certainly no replacement for our regular trips to The Markets, the farmers market in the summer makes for a fun outing and a great chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones as well.

The offerings range from crafts to fruits and vegetables, artisanal cheeses, microgreens, jewelry, breads and pastries, jellies and jams, peppers, plants and more.

It’s fun to talk to the people who have grown the things you eat and know that the effort helps local farmers who live, work and spend money here as well.

I hope more people will bring their children so the next generation appreciates not only the beauty of living in a small town where so many faces are familiar ones, but also so they gain an appreciation for eating healthy foods and knowing where food comes from.

In the end, our Saturday morning haul included new potatoes, squash, some of Waterproof, La., farmer Buddy Miller’s peaches, which are always favorites and three chocolate chip cookies.

The cookies were good, but not nearly as good as the experience. If you haven’t made it to the farmers market, it’s well worth the trip.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.