Leah Ou plays a traditional Chinese instrument
By Mary Gardner-Ruch
The Chinese Festival that was held at the Alfred Farmers Market on Sunday, October 2nd, was made possible with the funds for Expanding Access to Arts funding in WNY, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and New York State Legislature and administered by the Cullen Foundation. There were also special events held on Saturday, October 1st.
Musicians Leah Ou, Mingren Huang, and Zhanghei (Daisy) Wu provided music and education on Saturday and Sunday. A special guest appearance was from Yimeng Li, a soloist, who is the Alfred Farmers Market Manager. She was accompanied by Mingren Huang.
The Alfred Tai Chi group did a demonstration at the Sunday Market. Kites were being made by children at the Kid’s Tent and traditional Chinese treats were handed out at the Managers Tent. Mascho Homestead Farms handed out samples of their pork done in a homemade Chinese rub. The regular vendors sold their produce and products.
There was a festive feel to the day. It was the first Sunday without rain for weeks. The market will continue through the end of October. The season starts again in June 2023. There will be more special events offered through the grant in the upcoming year.
