The fruit stands and fresh fish stalls were accompanied by a plethora of musicians and artists at the "Balabusta" street fair at the Mahane Yehuda marketplace in Jerusalem. Better known as "the shuk", the historic open air market held events every Monday throughout the month of August. On normal days, the marketplace is a hustle and bustle of shoppers looking for choice fresh fruit, exotic juices, challah for Shabbat and a variety of other edible products.
Sponsored by the Municipality of Jerusalem's Department of Culture and Arts, the fair had a little something different on almost every corner. Musical acts changed from week to week and ranged from klezmer to jazz to Sephardic to rock and everything in between. One week had a parade of giant puppets. Other corners featured origami, fruit carving and other arts and crafts displaying the creativity of local Israelis. Israel National News takes you there with this photo essay giving you a taste of the shuk this summer.
Prime Minister Golda Meir made out of beans and sunflower seeds created by artist Tamara Navama.
A portrait of Prime Minister Menachem Begin in the process of being designed with beans.
Frida Kahlo made out of kosher geletin-free gummy candy.
A band plays middle eastern melodies on such instruments and the qamanch and the qanun (zither).
Rocking out to an awesome tar solo.
A man dances in the courtyard to the music and encourages others to join him.
People clap in unison as passersby dance.
Men play sheshbesh, or backgammon, in a side area known as the Iraqi shuk.
Artist Chanan Baer of Jerusalem draws people's portraits and caricatures.
Dried fruit being sold including dried pineapple, cranberries, kiwi and more.
A man plays the bagpipes.
A costumed host calls up random passersby to participate in a contest involving watermelons.
Raz Kedar demonstrates the art of vegetables as he carves a basket out of a watermelon.
A boat carved out of a pumpkin.
Fruit and vegetables sculpted to look like flowers.
A trio of guitar, drums and trombone play hits of the Beatles.
A fiddler on the roof. A band plays on the rooftop.
A DJ spins reggae, trance and electronica.
Children enjoy watching and popping giant bubbles made from a bucket of soapy water.
Middle eastern darbuka drums and guitar.
Dried flowers hang above a shop as a keyboardist and guitarist play.
Pomegranates on sale just in time for the Rosh Hashana holiday.
L'Chayim!