An open-air market with local crafters, mouth-watering food and live music? In Bangor?

How bazaar!

One of my favorite events, the outdoor market along the Kenduskeag Stream near Pickering Square, is back. It takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays through July 20. Last week, I had the chance to do a little shopping and it’s just as exciting as last year. I don’t have room to list all of the wonderful things I saw, so I’ve decided to touch on a few highlights.

For starters, I’m wild about locally made handcrafts. When I’m shopping for gifts, I love to pick out something unique, and many of the products on sale at the market fit the bill.

Take, for instance, the fine woodworking on display by Perfect Impression Gifts of Orrington. Steve Desmond creates end-grain cutting boards that are so gorgeous, you wouldn’t want a knife anywhere near them – until you hear Desmond explain that they don’t show a scratch. His bread boards with oil-dipping bowls are a bargain at $20.

Since I’m wild about handmade soaps, I made a beeline to Brook Street Kitchen, which I fondly remembered from last year. Their peppermint-rosemary appeals to my girly side – but the Mechanic’s Best Friend with pumice and coffee grounds appeals to my messy side.

Regular readers of my column already know of my obsession with glass. The market only fed that obsession when I picked up a pair of dichroic glass earrings from Ymir Glass Design. S.I.L.K. Glass is back with pendants and slumped glass plates that would elevate even boxed mac ‘n cheese into a gourmet meal. And Penobscot Stained Glass has returned with glimmering works of art.

New to the market is Mandy Williams, who creates miniature worlds in her glass pendants. Donna Tumosa and Doris Phillips also have a fine selection of glass pendants along with drool-worthy silver creations. However, the knitted and beaded wire necklaces at their Jewelry Artisans booth really caught my eye.

And speaking of eye-catching jewelry, Suzanne Campbell’s Beads Etc. designs drew me in. I love her sense of style and I’m especially smitten with a playful, colorful necklace accented with pea-green beads.

I even found inspiration at one of the last places I’d think to look: the American Girl Fashion Boutique, which specializes in handmade clothing for the popular doll line. Since my purses aren’t much bigger than the doll purses these crafters offer, I may have to pick up one. Or five. I figure they’d make a cool iPod or cell phone pouch, too.

On the functional side, Nancy Orr’s pottery is something to behold. She offers raku as well as glazed stoneware, and the results are organically beautiful. So, too, are the works in clay offered by the Hammond Street Senior Center.

Fiber artisans abound at the market, with whimsical faces crafted by Tree Heckler of Howling Threads Designs and funky purses made by Sally Bates. Linda Stearns uses silk as the backdrop for her brushstrokes, while Peggy Hanson offers everything from small paintings to hooked tea cozies and fabric clutch purses.

Patricia Byther’s Beyond the Box Artistry gives a whole new dimension to greeting cards. Her assemblage pieces combine charms, photographs, trinkets, fabric and other elements, and the result is fascinating.

Of course, the entire market is fascinating. Especially if you love to shop. And really, who doesn’t? That would just be bazaar. Whoops, I meant bizarre.

Outdoor market

What: Outdoor market

Where: Kenduskeag Stream, behind Pickering Square

When: 4-8 p.m. Thursdays through July 20

Details: 27 crafts vendors, five food vendors, live concert in Pickering Square from 7 to 8 p.m.

Weather: Market will take place drizzle or shine; concert is on regardless of the weather.

Information: call Sally Bates at 992-4234

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