New Downtown Harvest Market gets started

The first of four Downtown Harvest Market events kicked off Wednesday at Court Street Square.

Vendors hawked items ranging from barbecue tri-tip sandwiches to dates to dried jujubes grown in Lucerne Valley.

Rather than being old candy left over from last year's Halloween, dried jujubes have a chewy texture and a mild taste that is hard to describe. The fruit's Wikipedia entry compares the taste to that of an apple, which is pretty close.

The next Downtown Harvest Market is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 14 at Court Street Square, next to City Hall.