#ripemarket

I was standing in Zabeel Park at 5am on Friday morning, in the pitch black, feeling slightly lost and a little confused. Well it was my first market with Ripe and I was still a little nervous about the day that was soon to unfold in front of my eyes. I was even more confused by the speed at which the amazing Ripe boys put up hundreds of tents, still in darkness, across Zabeel Park. Those boys are simply amazing. 

As the sun rose and light fell across the park, the place came alive with hundreds of vendors hustling through the gates ready and raring to get going. Everyone has been waiting all summer for the first Ripe Food & Craft Market and it was finally here. Three months of hard work for me was about to come to fruition and it was pretty amazing to watch it all come together. If you need a little backstory, check this out and read some of my words on the wonderful Little Majlis Blog. 

Back to Friday though; the sun, as usual was beating down but the beautiful palms in Zabeel Park brought some much needed shade. And the soft breeze that washed over the park sporadically was welcomed by most, except me as it meant the demise of my beloved giant #ripemarke hashtag but I won't dwell on that since it is still somewhat of a sensitive issue for me. 

Considering I was awake at 4am and in the park tile 3pm, the day flashed before my eyes. The amount of visitors that braved the heat was incredible and a true testament to the amazing journey Ripe has been on since the beautiful Becky, Ripe Founder, started out. The atmosphere was electric and it is hard to believe that your in the midst of Dubai; the Ripe Market is a combination of a foodie festival and an arts and craft market. I may be biased (all the thousands of visitors we get every week aren't) but it is probably the best way to spend your Friday morning in Dubai!