By Maggie Malone

I am not a morning person. I could probably count good reasons for waking up early on one hand. The Waco Farmers Market, however, is most certainly one of the fingers on that hand.

A few of my friends from church and I piled into the car a couple Saturdays ago for my first trip to the Farmers Market. It was rather cold, so everyone was wrapped up in scarves and jackets. Yet everyone was cheerful as we chatted excitedly all the way downtown.

In the heart of Waco, under a small grove of trees, next to an old tower, sits the white tents of the Farmers Market. The cold didn’t stop too many of the locals as they gathered around the stalls with their children and dogs playing close by.

My eyes caught on a muffin stall, and my small group leader was kind enough to buy us some fresh baked mini muffins!

Emily, me, and our little treasure trove of muffins.

There was also purple cauliflower and delicious blueberry jam! Many lovely purple things. I also purchased, and devoured ravenously for the next few minutes, a strawberry and Nutella crepe. I hadn’t had a crepe in years, and luckily, the line for the famous crepe tent was short at the time.

Something a friend bought was a gourmet grilled sandwich called “The Boss,” with Gouda cheese, bacon, and basil on sourdough bread. She even let me try a bite! Unsurprisingly, it was absolutely wonderful. The sharp bite of the Gouda and the juicy follow up flavor of the bacon was perfection!

The sandwich isn’t the only thing around here that’s a boss!

Besides all the food, it was nice to chat with friends and Wacoans alike, as everyone gathered under the trees and took a break from life. Sometimes it’s just nice to leave the Baylor bubble for a while and explore all the hidden gems that Waco has to offer.