Successful night in the park
Good music, good food and good weather made for a good night at Veterans Park.
On a cool summer evening on Thursday, in conjunction with the opening night of the season for the Farmers Market, musical duo The Broken Oak performed in Veterans Park for two hours in what was dubbed “Music in the Park”.
The Broken Oak, comprised of Jake Moravetz of Russell and Mark Colvin of Marshall, received high accolades from those in attendance for their folk music.
They were even asked and agreed to perform at the upcoming National Night Out on Aug. 7.
“We love doing shows like this for a couple of hours because our best songs get played,” said Moravetz, a native of Marshall who works construction.
“With us, you always get what you want because we will take requests. And if we can play it, we will.”
Many local businesses stayed open longer than their normal hours to accommodate those coming to listen to the music and to patronize the Farmers Market.
City Hall Bar & Grill offered “take out” for its special of a pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw and chips. Styrofoam take-out boxes could be spotted by numerous people in the park. “We had quite a few take-out orders,” said City Hall Bar & Grill Manager Jordan Dressen.
“And a lot of people came and ate inside, too.” Caryn Hetland of the Minneota EDA organized the evening's festivities.
“For the first time, I felt it went okay,” she said. “I am hoping that we will be able to do it again. I actually had a lot of fun with it.”
Eight vendors were on hand from Minneota, Marshall and Porter. They sold such items as vegetables, meat, farm-fresh eggs, preserves, syrup, snacks, canned and baked goods, ice cream, water, wild flowers, and more.
“I was very happy with the vendor turnout,” said Jenny Buysse, an EDA member who has coordinated the Farmers Market for the past two years.
“As the vegetables continue to mature, I expect more vendors and increased variety.” “We also hope to have fun events, such as the music, every few weeks.”
This Thursday, the Farmer’s Market will be expanded into a Flea Market that will take place in the parking lot on the west side of Veterans Park.
“I’m going to work with our 4-H Club for something after the fair,” Buysse said. The Broken Oak’s performance went over so well that they were asked to return to Minneota on Aug. 7 to play for National Night Out that is sponsored by St. Edward’s School. “We had a good time,” said Colvin, an internet serviceman in Marshall.
“The people here have been really nice.”
The Broken Oak has been together for three years now. Moravetz met Colvin through a family friend and they decided to blend their talents. They have been playing between 30 and 40 events each year, including the upcoming Polish Days in Ivanhoe on Aug. 9. Several people attending Music in the Park told Moravetz and Colvin how much they appreciated their music.
“We want people to know that we are very approachable,” Moravetz said.
“We enjoy talking with the people after we’re done. We’re looking forward to coming back to Minneota again.” Between sets, Moravetz and Colvin made their way over to the Farmers Market and purchased a few items. Buysse initiated the start-up of the Farmers Market last year and it has slowly been gaining popularity each week. Vendors are not charged a fee to bring any of their items to sell.
Those interested can come to the park between 5-7 p.m. each Thursday and set up. This Thursday, a flea market will be added and will run from 4-7 p.m.