2021-07-11 Pearl Farmers Market

 It is nearly the middle of July but here in Central Texas you would never know it. Every thing is very green and it is still raining frequently. That is definitely not normal for us. Saturday we decided to go downtown and check out the Pearl Farmers Market. Between Covid and all the rain we have gotten this summer, I haven't been in quite a while.

The orange booth makes crepes on site with a wide variety of fillings. My granddaughter had one with nutella, strawberries, and whipping cream. Steve and I had one with turkey, bacon, tomatoes, spinach, and avocado in it. Both were very good. Helen picked up a croissant with ham and cheese from Bakery Lorraine. It is a permanent place here in this area where old brewery buildings have been converted to condos, restaurants, and hotels as well as the Culinary Institute of America.

We listened to beautiful music while we had brunch. This man was very good.

These kids were having a great time in this fountain area.

There were a couple of other people providing music as well. There is often a band in front of one of the buildings but not this day. It was nice because, although they are usually very good, the amplifiers make it unpleasant to walk in front of them.

There are all kinds of booths from meat fresh from the ranch to vegetables in baskets and everything else you can imagine.

There are also permanent restaurants and bars.

Selling different things with caramel as part of the ingredients.

Garden fresh bouquets.

We would have stayed a little longer but, surprise, we got hit by another rainstorm.

What is Going On at the Pearl Brewery....Farmers Market

From this.....J.B. Behloradsky and City Brewer opens in 1881 to....


this.....San Antonio Brewing Assn formed in 1883.


to the first Pearl beer in 1886......


to 2009 when the first year round Farmers Market in the region opened.......I visited a couple of times and enjoyed it although the hassle of parking took some of the fun away.

Now jump forward to the present day Farmers Market open every Saturday from 0900 to 1:00PM. It's easy to get to taking I35 south and getting off at exit 158c. There is tons of free parking all around the area so that is no longer a hassle and, wow, have things changed. The market is no longer restricted to a parking lot but expands upon several streets which are blocked off so you can meander through and enjoy the whole area. And did I mention that the Brewery is located past the Museum Reach of the San Antonio Riverwalk so you can also enjoy that whole area!

In addition to the old Pearl Brewery building that you can see in the background of some of the pictures, there are many new or refurbished buildings.

 The Culinary Institute of America is located down here too.

One of my favorite booths at the Farmers Market is the Biga On the Banks booth run by Amy Delbridge, Pastry Chef at Biga. She makes the most amazing baked goods and pastries. Her Bacon, Apple, Cheddar Scones are the best scones I have ever eaten....moist and flavorful. She also makes wonderful cinnamon roles with a very unique icing containing lemon that adds a whole different twist to something already a crowd favorite. You can find something great to munch on while at the market or a flavorful focacia bread to take home and enjoy later.

You can catch a glimpse on the right of some of the many condos located in the area. The San Antonio Riverwalk area is encouraging lots of people to move back to the center of town where so much is going on.

Sweet potatoes anyone?

One of the things like I like about San Antonio is the way they have saved so many old buildings and repurposed them and blended new buildings in as well. The Pearl Brewery area is a fantastic example of this.

The Humble House booth was demonstrating the making of ravioli today and they had a schedule of what they would be demonstrating every Saturday for the next few months.

A local winery from the Poteet TX area had samples of numerous wines available.

One of the things I found unique about this market is that they also feature various meat booths where you can order different types of meat.

There was even music provided. This group was just beginning to perform. Another nice feature of the market is that you can find places to sit down and just take in what is going on around you.

Pearl Brewery has lots of businesses that are open every day too such as this Local Coffee Shop. shop.

A Brewing Water Tank was repurposed into a food booth.

And don't these old boiler tanks make great flower planters?

The original brewery building is currently undergoing some renovations with window replacements. Something in the area is always being upgraded or renovated or added so it is definitely an ongoing change of scenery.

And did I mention that the San Antonio Riverwalk is just steps away through some lovely gardens?

On our way out today, I happened to notice this solar power station information. Apparently solar power is already being utilized in this area with lots more to come.

San Antonio is definitely a city focused on the "old" and the "new" and gracefully blending them together. I know I will be back to this area soon and I definitely recommend it as a place which shouldn't be missed when you come to visit San Antonio!