Oxford observes Earth Day 2024 with several activities, including EarthFest on Saturday, April 20, beginning at 10 a.m., in Oxford Memorial Park. Adjacent to EarthFest, Oxford’s weekly Farmers Market operates on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Day of the Mushroom is April 16. It’s an occasion to celebrate all things mushrooms, primarily by consuming them and sharing fun facts. Here’s one fun fact: mushrooms breathe like humans – they take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
The total eclipse on April 8 is a once-in-a-lifetime event for Oxford.
Spring break is a time when many folks head to Florida. For someone who values local food, I enjoy the pleasing gastronomic change Florida offers from an Ohio winter.
Leafy greens, including spinach, Swiss chard and kale, are the principal local vegetables available this time of year at Oxford’s Farmers Market. Our local farmers have figured out how to grow leafy greens indoors when it is still too cold to plant outside.
Mid-March brings many notable events, including Saint Patrick’s Day, the Ides of March, midterm examinations, Spring Break and Oxford’s notorious Green Beer Day. The most American of all mid-March celebrations is Pi Day on March 14.
Birch Creek Bakery, owned by Sasha Symon, first appeared at Oxford’s Farmers Market on a dark, cold January morning 14 months ago, when only the most intrepid of shoppers and growers were there. Sasha and her husband, Mike Symon, have quickly become fixtures at the market, offering artisan bread and pastries Sasha bakes. I buy one or two loaves and pastries from them every week.
Chinese New Year celebrations are going on now, including a 15-day period ending on Feb. 24 with the Lantern Festival, marking the first full moon of the year. During this celebration, people light lanterns to drive out darkness and bring hope for the coming year.
February has become “Chili Month” in Oxford. MOON Co-op Market’s annual chili lunch is Saturday, Feb. 17, between 11.30 a.m.-2 p.m. in Oxford’s Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at the corner of Walnut and Poplar Streets. Oxford Kiwanis Club’s chili supper is Thursday, Feb. 29, between 5 - 7 p.m. at Talawanda High School.
Chocolate is synonymous with Valentine’s Day: It’s the day when people send messages of love with cards and flowers — and with chocolates. This year, why not show your love for both your sweetheart and planet Earth by giving Earth-friendly chocolate?