TERLINGUA — After two years, the Terlingua Community Garden Market will return to bring homemade goodies and live music to the Ghost Town. The weekly get-together was put on hold during the pandemic, but will make a triumphant return this weekend and through the winter months every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Terlingua Community Garden was launched in 2007 as a creative way to use rainwater runoff from the roof of the Starlight Theatre. Since then, the space has grown into a small compound — the garden and greenhouse can produce hundreds of pounds of food each growing season, thanks to its small but stalwart band of desert gardeners.
The market was a logical offshoot of the community garden. The farmer’s market quickly grew into an everything market — Miss India’s homemade jams and Jill Jones’ biscuits became legends of their own, alongside delectable tamales, pizzas and a monthly flea market. “At first we were really small and right off the road, so we were visible to people driving by,” explained Shannon Carter, one of the brains behind the original Starlight water catchment concept.
After a few years, a walled-in and covered performance space was added, sheltering vendors from the elements and supporting the growth of a cozy community tradition — one whose absence has been felt over the past two years. “A bunch of long-term locals were really excited about it and ready to put Saturday mornings back on their radar,” Carter said.
In a return to form, the market will also host a monthly workshop on topics related to gardening and sustainable living. This year’s first workshop will take place on December 3, featuring a demonstration by Ed Hegarty about making your own corn tortillas from scratch.
The community garden space can comfortably fit 14 vendors. Homegrown products like veggies, eggs, and cheese are welcome — as are artwork, handicrafts and other flea market staples. Water and recycling is taken care of — the only thing vendors need to bring is their own table. “It’s pretty straightforward: first come, first served,” Carter said.
The fee for vendors is $10. To get more information or to register, contact Shannon Carter info@greensgurl.com or call 432 853-7090. The Terlingua Community Garden is located up the road from the cemetery in the Ghost Town.