Summer Sundays In Stuart - Less Crowded But Still Fun

When my sister Susan and I were here in Stuart, Florida this past winter and spring, we tried to visit the Market on Main in downtown's Flagler Park, as well as the Rock'n Riverwalk concert nearby, but there were no parking spaces available anywhere in the area. In fact, an elderly couple waiting for a car to leave were actually attacked when they asked the man in that car if he was planning to leave soon. Happily, when we went yesterday, there were a fair number of spots available, allowing us to get out and walk around the booths, some of which can be seen in the photograph on the left. Of course, during the summer it is almost always in the 90s with 100% humidity, but to me it is a price worth paying. Neither Susan nor I were interested in buying anything, but it was fun to just see what was on sale, do a little peoplewatching, and just walk around the park itself, which is a very pleasant spot located along the St. Lucie River. 

The Market on Main takes place every Sunday from 9:00 until 1:00 during the summer and until 2:00 during the season. After we were done at the park, we headed to the Riverwalk and checked out the music at the downtown stage, seen in the photograph on the right. This stage is part of a plaza just off Osceola Street, the main retail district in Stuart. The band playing on the stage along the Riverwalk is called Steel Pony and plays classic rock. They evidently play at various venues between Stuart and Key West. Next week a local band from Jensen Beach called One Eyed Willie will be playing, which to me sounds very intriguing.

The most popular place to sit beside the seating under the "sail shades" in front of the stage is the small park next door to the plaza, as seen in the photograph on the left. This is a very pleasant place to sit even when a band is not playing. There always seem to be people sitting there just hanging out or gazing at the St. Lucie River no matter the time of year. People here in Stuart are very friendly, and last spring when Susan and I were sitting in that park we got to talking with a guy at a nearby picnic table. We wound up learning his entire history. His big issue was the cost of housing. Finding an affordable place to live is just as big an issue down here as it is in Denver. The person we talked to was able to find a place to share with a roommate, but when the roommate died, it was a struggle to stay where he was, although eventually he was able to work it out. Problems seem to be the same everywhere you go, even in paradise.