If you’re single and looking, the Memorial Day Weekend holiday offers you a number of great social options where you can have fun expanding your social circle and just perchance meet that someone special.
Go Shopping at a Farmers Market:
Your area Farmers Markets are often cited at the website of your town government. Some of the local community colleges host a Farmers Market in their massive Parking Lots over the weekends on Saturdays or Sundays when they are not in full session.
Huntington Beach Farmers Market: Main Street Tuesdays and Fridays
In Huntington Beach, they are held every Tuesday evening (5-9 PM) and also Friday afternoons (1 – 5 PM). The Main Street area is shut down between Orange and PCH and there is some produce interspersed with lots of prepared food options and can do a little shopping in the downtown section Huntington Beach.
This makes is so easy to break the ice with those around you. While you are shopping, you can read what their t-shirt says and swap witty quips with the vendors and the other shoppers. Help the others out by wearing a conversation starter.
You’re right by the beach, so a quick jaunt over to dabble your toes in the sand and chat with whom you met can be a very comfortable and casual segue for you. If asking for a date right then feels too daunting, opt instead simply to express an interest and exchange personal cards to allow for communicating later in the week and exploring the option of a first date together. Having only just met, it’s a little to soon, too quick, and too fast to share your whole life with a complete stranger, so don’t yet friend each other over at Facebook.
Because this is SoCal, this is a year round option for you. The Memorial Day holiday means more people will be out and about like you are. The Friday afternoon version is the Certified Farmers Market. Tuesday evenings is more mixed vendors and street performers.
Irvine Farmers Market: Saturday Mornings
If you are looking for a more dedicated farmers and vast array fresh produce kind of experience, you’ll want to drive over to the UCI (University of California, Irvine) Saturday morning (8 AM – 12Noon). The location is at University Center at the corner of Bridge and Campus.
They simply have way more space to accommodate a larger experience. The Irvine Farmers Market is a Certified Farmers Market. That means the sellers have all been vetted as being genuine The Real Deal farmers who themselves planted, raised, and grew the fruit, veggies, and nuts being sold there.
The Irvine Farmers Market is a much larger farmers market with a huge range of foods to choose from. Plus the vendors are super generous in sharing free samples so you can taste the goat cheese or vet the fruit for sweetness and richness of flavor.
Despite SoCal’s reputation for how we all drive everywhere, because of the close physical proximity to the UCI campus, you do get a lot of the campus folks just simply walking over. And remember when it comes to University aged students that UCI has plenty of graduate school programs so you will encounter students and faculty of a wide age range, not just the young side of the 2o somethings.
Get there early for the easiest parking experience. And plan to stay awhile to maximize that this Farmers Market gets quite crowded. When you’re looking to mingle and casually meet people, a crowd is a good thing for you to have!
I cited just two of the many Orange County area Farmers Markets. There are others. If you live elsewhere, take this tip strategically and apply it to something nearby to where you live. You never know who’ll you’ll meet!
What’s your favorite item to shop for at a Farmers Market and break the ice?
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
OC’s Internet Dating and Relationship Expert
As seen in Dating for Dummies, 3rd Edition
April Braswell speaks to singles in Singles Groups and Divorce Support Groups as well as at Singles Dating Workshops and Singles Conferences. Looking to Hire April to speak at your Singles Event?
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