A woman carries an ice pop in one hand and a napkin in the other as she chases a toddler, trying to wipe away a stream of sticky red liquid running down his chin.
Almost every other person you see has a similar pop in hand on a recent afternoon at the Tuesday Farmers Market in Northampton. This is because pop master Julie Tuman, 38, is on the scene with a freezer full of fruity treats. She is ready for rush hour with eight flavors that don’t fall into the usual cherry, grape and orange varieties. Hers include nectarine black tea, carrot ginger and beet apple.
She lounges at her stand — a freezer mounted on a tricycle topped by a yellow umbrella — welcoming customers to Crooked Stick Pops with her cheerful smiles. Many know her by name and come seeking the treats she sells at festivals and farmers markets throughout western Massachusetts.
“You are basically getting addicted to fruit,” she said of her repeat patrons. “It’s a good addiction.”