Deb Malewski
Contributing Writer

Is it safe to have a little fun during the second summer of a worldwide pandemic? With a little ingenuity and a lot of thinking outside the box, the Village of Dimondale is busy planning activities to make the summer both enjoyable and safe.
The Village Council has approved the opening of Dimondale Farmers Market on June 3, which will be the fourteenth season of this healthy and happy event. It will be open on Thursdays from June through September, from 3 to 7 p.m.; and in October from 3 to 6 p.m. There will also be a special spring market on May 6.
“We are prepared to adapt to whatever protocols are called for to keep both vendors and patrons safe,” Market Manager and Downtown Business Association President Denise Parisian said.
“Everyone would like to not have to cancel so many things again this year,” said Parisian. “It’s worth the effort to try to re-invent our events so that we can continue our activities in a safe manner.”
“I am not too worried about outdoor events when done with precaution,” Parisian said. “The outstanding success of our 2020 Dimondale Farmer’s Market has encouraged us to make sure we continue our efforts. It was the best year ever!”
The 2020 Dimondale Farmers Market, she explained had almost no push-back from shoppers at the mask requirement, and there were no reports of anyone becoming ill.
Despite paring down the event somewhat, with musical entertainment missing, the market had high customer counts and grossed the highest sales in 13 years. Giveaways were held each week to thank customers for coming to the popular event. The wonderful weather probably helped some, also, Parisian acknowledged.
With Easter not too far off, planning is underway for a Dimondale Easter event. “The prevailing thought is that we will have an Easter drive-through with booths where the cars can stop to get some goodies from the Easter Bunny and from local businesses,” Parisian said. “The little ones will get a chance to at least wave at the Easter Bunny.”
Much consideration has been given to Memorial Day, also. A group is meeting to determine how a Memorial Day parade can be held. The parade route might have to be set up with orange cones set out to indicate correct social distancing. Another option might be to route the parade through the residential neighborhoods so viewers can stand out in the front yard or on their porches to watch.
Two emergency food pantries have been installed in Dimondale during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were built by volunteer Tom Large, from Holt, as a collaborative project between Holt and Dimondale. One is located at Carl’s Supermarket at 142 East Road and the other is at Lions Community Park, which is located at 304 West Jefferson Street.
“It’s something that Dimondale has been looking at doing for a while, but the collaboration made it easier to come to fruition, Parisian said. “We are pleased to work together on this as a community.”
“We’re lucky to live in Dimondale. It’s a good place to live!” Parisian added.
For more information about Dimondale events, contact Denise Parisian at dimondalefarmersmarket@gmail.com, and visit the website at villageofdimondale.org.