Detroit's Eastern Market celebrated its 200th birthday in 2004. It has been at its present location in the Vernor, Russell, Gratiot area of Detroit's near east side since 1891. Open Monday through Saturday throughout the year, the Eastern Market is busiest on Saturday mornings when some 45,000 Detroiters, suburbanites and out-of-staters can be found shopping at hundreds of farmers' stalls and dozens of retail stores located on the Market's 43 acres. It is estimated that 70,000 tons of fresh produce are sold annually at the Eastern Market to wholesalers, retailers, and the general public.

On Saturday, December 9, 2006, my Travel Photography class met at the Eastern Market for a field trip. Most of my classmates seemed to focus on food, but for me, it was the people. As they say, once a social worker, always a social worker.

I returned on December 30 to ask the vendors I'd photographed on December 9th to sign releases, and of course I took the opportunity to take more photos!