Joey Nigro asked his girlfriend, Rusty Rouillier, to marry him during a Saturday visit to a strict Blacksburg Farmers Market. The COVID-19 lockdown has forced the market to limit patrons to 10 or less at any given time
By Marty Gordon
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced individuals to change the way they do things, but for two Virginia Tech graduates it will have a special meaning. Joey Nigro and Rusty Rouillier got engaged Saturday in a strictly social distanced Blacksburg Farmers Market.
As the market limited patrons to ten people and monitored who came in and out of the 100 Draper Road location, Nigro used it as an opportunity to pop the question. The two have been dating for almost four years. They have known each other since high school and reconnected at Virginia Tech through mutual friends. They started dating almost four years ago.
The farmers market has always been an activity that the couple did together. “No matter how busy we were during the week or even that day, we always made time to go to our favorite place (the farmers market),” the groom-to-be said. “It was the perfect last memory before moving to Richmond.”
Nigro had worked at “Not Your Mamas Pasta” most Saturdays at the farmers market, and Rouillier worked for Birdsong Farm some weekends.
“I’ve been thinking of doing it at the market for a while, but when everything started happening and regulations started getting tighter, I knew I had to do it sooner rather than later just in case the market closed completely,” Nigro said.
The pandemic definitely affected the way Nigro proposed. “Originally, I wanted to maybe have more vendors in on it and maybe have music playing in the background from one of the many bands that play there,” he said. “Mostly we have been staying home and not leaving the house. The only time we leave is to go to the market on Saturdays and to walk our dogs.”.
The couple hopes people can look at the proposal and where it took place as something happy that came out of this mess. “Find joy in difficult times and support local and shop at the farmers market,” Nigro said.
And, by the way, Rouillier said yes. No date has been set as of yet for a wedding.
