Farmers Market To Feature Homegrown Talent

The Buffalo Grove Farmers Market already boasts a variety of homegrown and homemade products, ranging from fresh produce to all-natural dog treats.

Beginning Sept. 12, the event will also feature some homegrown musical talent.

Area musicians are gathering to conduct weekly jam sessions at the farmers market.

The jam session are being coordinated by Doug Stangle, a 20-year Buffalo Grove resident who said he plays "all the folk instruments," including the guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

"What we're going to try to do is pattern them after Oak Park—they have a jam session at their farmers market," said Stangle, who has played in the west suburb on weekends and often heads up to Grayslake on Friday nights.

Realizing that their hometown didn't offer a similar opportunity, Stangle and a friend decided to look for local talent to join them in jamming in Buffalo Grove.

Anyone is welcome to join their circle by showing up with an instrument and a chair at the farmers market. They plan to hold weekly jam sessions from 10 a.m. to noon through the rest of the farmers market season, which runs each Sunday through Oct. 24 at the Buffalo Grove Park District's Spray 'N Play, 951 McHenry Road.

The musicians will take turns choosing songs, and the other instrumentalists will join in. Market-goers who don't play are invited to gather around the circle to listen or sing along to favorites such as "This Land is Your Land," Stangle said.

"Everybody gets a chance to do their thing," he said.

The informal sessions will likely produce a combination of bluegrass, folk, country and blues music, he said.

Stangle said he's not sure how many musicans to expect at the first gathering, but  even if just a few show up, he said he'll be satisfied.

"We're hoping to build on it," he said. "It will start slow. Hopefully it won't remain slow."

For more information about the jam sessions, contact Stangle at dbstangle1@aol.com.