The Haymarket lives up to its name each Saturday morning as more than 100 vendors sell their farm fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items on the streets and sidewalks. Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon marks the first market of the season, with Oct. 10 the last.
A performance showcase features local and Nebraska taleny performing folk, jazz, blues, classical and dance. The market also offers educational demonstrations, and civic organizations hand out information.
The market will be expanding again this year, staging vendors along Canopy Street, from P Street north to Q Street.
Also starting up this week is the F Street Farmers Market on Tuesdays, from 4 to 7 p.m. through Oct. 6 in the church parking lot at 1302 F St. Kids activities will be offered from 4 to 6 p.m., with live music from 6 to 7 p.m. Dinner will be available for purchase.
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More than 120 Nebraska wines will be available for sampling along with music from local bands Friday and Saturday at the second annual Toast Nebraska Wine Festival at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.
The festival will highlight 19 Nebraska wineries and include more than 22 artisan and food vendors, in addition to wine and chef demonstration sessions.
Area bands performing include Tony from the Beaten Path, Ro Hemple, Bottle Tops, Belles and Whistles and Avaricious.
Tickets range from $25 to $65. A portion of proceeds will go to support Heartland Big Brothers Big Sisters.
A daily state park entry permit is included in the cost of a ticket. For more information, go to .
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Hunan cuisine is well-known for its spicy flavor, as in Hunan beef, which is stir-fried beef strips with vegetables and chili pepper or chili sauce.
Wonton soup is a Chinese appetizer. Although most restaurants serve pork wonton soup, the class will include both a pork and a home-style chicken wonton, which can be a main course or a side dish if cooked differently.
Both dishes will be demonstrated in a class from 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 11 at the cooking lab, Room 206, Leverton Hall on the University of Nebraska East Campus. Instructors from the Confucius Institute at UNL will offer step-by-step recipes and instructions. Participants will have hands-on experience and taste the food made in class. The cost is $20, which includes course materials, handouts, tasting food and drinks.
To register, contact Angela Rystrom at 402-472-5370 or arystrom2@unl.edu.
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The Coffee House is planning a series of educational coffee sessions hosted by Jon Ferguson, a specialty coffee professional, to take place Thursdays at 7 p.m. for the next four weeks at The Coffee House, 1324 P St.
Ferguson's experiences as a coffee buyer have taken him around the world to more than a dozen coffee-growing countries, most recently to Nicaragua where he served on an International Jury for the Cup of Excellence coffee competition.
The sessions cost $10 each. To sign up, go to The Coffee House Facebook page, or message Jon Ferguson or Dylan A. Wall directly.
Here's a rundown of the classes, which run from 7 to 8 p.m., unless otherwise noted:
April 30 -- Seed to Cup: Coffee Chain
May 7 -- Brewing Fundamentals
May 14 -- Espresso Extraction
May 21 -- Service & Latte Art, 6-9 p.m., with a latte art competition following the class