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The Summer Market

 Hello Market-Goers and Lake Lovers! 

    This summer, I had the pleasure of attending The Summer Market for the very first time. It's an outdoor festival and fundraising event featuring more than 100 vendors that sell vintage, handmade, and homegrown goods. The fundraiser supports Girls Give Back, which is a non-profit that benefits local families and organizations in need. There is also live music, food trucks, and drinks that you can enjoy along the Black River in Lorain, Ohio. It is free to attend and pet friendly. I have heard of this event in the past, but never made it because it is one weekend only every July. You can check out more about the event on their website. 




    Before going, I checked out their website to see what vendors I definitely wanted to make sure I found their booths. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of lake/nautical goods because I want to decorate my future lake house in that theme. There was a nice variety of booths and products at the event that made it feel like there was something for everyone to look at and enjoy. 









    After doing some shopping, we went over to the food trucks to grab some food and headed over to a picnic table by the water to enjoy the scenery. First up, we tried the Braised Brisket Sandwich from Manna. It was a decent sandwich. The brisket was tender and braised in cherry cola, but you didn't taste that flavor in the meat at all. It had a good hoagie roll that wasn't tough or overly bready. I appreciated the green onions for another layer of flavor. It wasn't anything to write home about. 


Braised Brisket Sandwich $14

    Next up was Emanuel and Nick's Taverna. We tried the Greek Salad, which was made fresh. It had iceberg lettuce, tomato, kalamata olives, green peppers, cucumber, caraway, and a light olive oil dressing. It was very refreshing and added a nice balance to everything else we ate. 

    Also at Emanuel and Nick's, we got the Spanakopita. I am a sucker for Spanakopita, and this did not disappoint. I LOVE when it is made fresh like this one. The pastry was super flakey and the filling was absolutely delicious. I wish there was more of the filling, but I'm not arguing about having more dough in this case. 

    The next thing we got at Emanuel and Nick's (I love mediterranean food), was the Pita Bread and Tzatziki sauce. The sauce was perfect. Tangy and flavorful. Everything I wish it would taste like when I make it at home, but it's never quite this good. The pita bread was soft and delicious. I could've happily eaten the entire menu at this place. 

From left: Pita Bread and Tzatziki sauce (no charge); Greek Salad $7; Spanakopita $7

    While looking around at food, we saw a massive line for Merrybrook Baking Company. Their trailer advertises donuts and pretzels, and let me tell you, it smelled fantastic. I immediately got in line. We got a soft pretzel which tasted like an upscale Auntie Anne's, and it wasn't greasy. It was also HUGE. They offered nacho cheese or mustard for the pretzels at no extra charge. This is a boss move, people. It should be this way everywhere. 


Soft pretzel $6 

    We also ordered a donut from the Merrybrook Baking Company, which they made fresh. It took about 10-15 minutes, but was well worth the wait. It practically dissolves in your mouth. The glaze never dried, it stayed drippy and tasted amazing. It wasn't super sweet and didn't leave a sugar aftertaste like most donuts. 

Donut $4- My mom had already taken a bite out of it because she couldn't wait

    I love any type of market, but I didn't know what to expect with this one. It was bigger than I anticipated and I really enjoyed the variety of products and options. I also love any excuse to spend a summer night on the lake. Doing some shopping and having a food truck picnic while watching a Lake Erie sunset was absolute perfection. I will absolutely be back and I hope you get a chance to check it out in the future as well! 

    Let me know if you've been to The Summer Market or any of your other favorites in the comments! 

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