Season openers: Clark Fork market, beer blast inaugurate summer of events
By JAMIE KELLY of the Missoulian
Watch a video of the Clark Fork River Market.
Salmon to the left of us, lagers to the right.
And here we were, stuck in the middle of the Clark Fork River Market and the Garden City Brewfest on a glorious spring day.
It was a Missoula party, as only Missoulians can throw it.
Micaela Parker looks at a lavender plant for sale: at the Clark Fork River Market in Missoula on Saturday. Crowds of people wandered the market on one of the first warm Saturdays of spring, buying bedding plants, baked goods, bison meat, fish and other goods. Photo by TOM BAUER/Missoulian
Hundreds of us - nay, thousands - packed the banks of a newly flowing Clark Fork River on Saturday, saying hello to an old, fickle friend (the sun), and to each other while we snapped up organic goodies and hops-heavy brews.
“The weather finally broke, and everybody's been waiting for the market to open,” said Mike Duda, displaying a booth full of homegrown parsley and chives and gourds and pineapplemint.
Mike and Ricia Duda, proprietors of Bitterroot Organics in Victor, surveyed the early arrivals and crowed about the beautiful sun and the packed crowds during Missoula's unofficial spring commencement.
“This is the busiest that I've ever seen,” said Mike Duda, his produce picked through as next door in Caras Park the brewfest was attracting its own crowd.
Missoulians went fishing for organic honey, Tipu's Tiger chai, pork, lamb, lemonade and, of course, fish in the 50 booths set up for the market's debut.
The Dudas had the veggies, but the Boones had the seafood.
Wild Alaska seafood, to be specific - caught fresh and shipped to Corey and Alison Boone, who sold it from the back of their truck.
Salmon from Prince William Sound. Halibut from the coast off Juneau.
Their Taste of Alaska business is only five months old, but it's definitely catching on.
“What a great crowd,” said Alison Boone. “People were just eager to get out in this weather.”
In just one morning, the Boones moved around 100 pounds of fish.
Give Missoulians a fish, and they'll eat it. They don't need a biblical parable to understand that.
“Missoula's such a well-informed community,” said Alison Boone. “They understand the importance of wild seafood.”
It was a great debut for the Dudas this year. They've been setting up shop at the Farmers Market - and this year, for the first time, the Clark Fork River Market - for 10 years.
And when June comes, they'll be below the Higgins Avenue Bridge, this time packing the fruit of 1,700 plants, including an extra 350 tomato plants they seeded this year.
“Yes,” said Ricia Duda, looking over to the crowds sucking on the newly rediscovered Highlander, lagers, ales and other local flavors. “This is the best of both worlds.”
Reporter Jamie Kelly can be reached at 523-5254 or at jkelly@missoulian.com
