Community Corner
Birmingham Takes Part in Eastern Market's MI Apple Trail
Birmingham's four-foot-tall fiberglass apple has been decorated by local Linda Stern and will be revealed at the Farmers Market this Sunday.
It may not be apple season yet, but be prepared to see a giant apple on display at the this Sunday.
A four-foot fiberglass apple, decorated by Birmingham artist Linda Stern, will be on display beginning Sunday through Sept. 4 as part of Eastern Market's MI Apple Trail.
The project, funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, is the result of a partnership between Detroit’s Eastern Market and the Michigan Apple Committee aimed at promoting art, local markets and Michigan’s apple industry.
Find out what's happening in Birminghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Each of the 20 participating markets has received these four-foot tall fiberglass apples at no cost to them,” explains spokesperson Vivian Carmody. “So the idea is that each market will get a local artist to decorate or paint their apple and it will be displayed from the beginning of August through the middle of September at the local farmers markets.”
Carmody is the executive director of Main Street Franklin, which is also sponsoring one of the apples at its market. Other participating communities include Wyandotte, Farmington, Royal Oak, Novi, Flint and Bloomfield, plus a slew of others.
Find out what's happening in Birminghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Stern, a Birmingham resident for 24 years, was involved in Tiger Town in 2007, in which artists decorated tigers scattered throughout the city. Stern also painted the murals inside .
In mid-September, all apples will be moved to the Eastern Market, where they will be displayed for about a month.
Then on Oct. 14, Eastern Market will host its annual Apple Gala and Auction. There, each of the apples will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with proceeds benefiting each of the markets that hosted the project.
Additionally, the Michigan Apple Committee is hosting a passport program, which encourages passport holders to visit multiple farmers markets in Michigan to receive stamps. Once enough stamps are collected, the passport can be mailed in to enter the participant in a prize drawing.
Overall, Carmody said the pieces come together to support important causes.
“The idea (is that) this public art project that would both encourage people to visit their local farmers markets as well as kind of celebrate our Michigan apple industry,” Carmody explained.
To learn more, visit www.detroiteasternmarket.com. The Birmingham Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sunday in Municipal Parking Lot No. 6 on North Old Woodward Avenue.
