Around The Neighborhood…the mythos of Eudemon…exploring the liminal spaces of Riverwest…meeting the ordinary folk and having a good time.
Eudemon carried a folding chair over to the corner of Locust and Bremen. He found a spot of shade under one of Garden Park’s trees and settled in for an afternoon of entertainment. It was Sunday noon and the first market of the season was happening. Gardeners’ Market is one of Eudemon’s favorite spots to sit and watch the neighborhood go by and go buy. It was a glorious day to kick off the season. Vendors were set up selling fresh vegetables, flowers and garden plants. Other folks were selling crafts, clothes and flea market items. Eudemon bought one of Will Allen’s Growing Power greenhouse tomatoes and ate it on the spot. He also purchased some flowers and a pineapple sage to plant in the garden. Eudemon had heard the drumming at Locust Fest the week before and read that the same group, One Drum, would be the opening entertainment for this season. One Drum as it happens, turns out to be many drums sharing the rhythm. “One Drum, Oh, I get it!” thought Eudemon. He can be a little slow sometimes. It was Father’s Day and Julio Pabon led the beat with the assistance of his friends and toddling son. As the drumming reverberated off the buildings and down the block, the market took on a festival atmosphere. People were dancing and clapping as they sat and watched or strolled and shopped. Kids big and small, babies, skateboarders, elders, people of color, and people getting sunburned, all swayed to the beat. “Now if we can only get the cars to slow down and open their windows,” said Eudemon as he gazed at the traffic on Locust. Riverwest Currents – Volume 1 – Issue 6 – July 2002