Centralia Farmers Holding Holiday Market at Outlets

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The idea of a holiday market hosted by the Centralia Farmers Market and Centralia Outlets was welcomed by market vendors to extend their seasons a few weeks. 

And in a year when a global pandemic has hit hard, they are also hoping local shoppers will see it as an opportunity to support local industry with their holiday purchases.

“This could make or break the year,” said Kirsten Simons, of River Birch Farms of Winlock, who produces wool products and goat milk soaps as well as sprouting seeds and microgreens. “It’s a great opportunity to continue to connect with the community and bring awareness of the things we’re producing.”

The Centralia Farmers Market Holiday Market kicked off Black Friday and runs weekends through the Christmas weekend (though it is closed on Christmas). The idea of a holiday market was proposed by Melanie Wirkkala, marketing and property manager of the Centralia Outlets. The outlets have hosted the Centralia Farmers Market’s regular season for the last two years on its property on the east side of Interstate 5. Wirkkala said the partnership has been so successful, she suggested the market could extend its season by using the currently unoccupied former location of DressBarn on the west side of the freeway, just across from McDonald’s. For Wirkkala, the farmers market brings just one more unique offering to the shopping center. 

“People do want to get out and shop,” Wirkkala said of holiday shoppers. “They’re tired of being cooped up in their houses.”

Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, farmers markets had to change the way they did business this year. At the Centralia Farmers Market that meant requiring masks, offering hand washing stations, having a one-way flow through the market, limiting crowds and limiting who was actually touching the products. Though it was a large learning curve, market manager Marie Shankle, owner of Olde Achers Farm, said she was proud of vendors, volunteers and shoppers who braved the new normal.

“Overall, it went really well,” Shankle said. “The farmers market had to follow some different rules to function and overall, people were very understanding.”

The pandemic did affect the amount of foot traffic at the market this year, said Malachi Starling of Terralumina Farms, who will likely take over the role of market manager next year. He said many are hopeful next year will be different but for now, he appreciated the chance to extend the season because expenses such as feeding animals and maintaining crops so they can be ready for the next summer’s season remain.

“Especially after such a rough season, the pandemic made a huge impact on the market traffic, we really didn’t have the money to sustain us for the winter,” he said. 

The holiday market currently has somewhere between 16 and 20 vendors. Shankle said there is room for about 26 total so they are open to any other folks who might be looking for an outlet for their wares, especially with so many traditional Christmas bazaars and markets closed this year. Market board president Bruce Yost, owner of Twin Cedars Woodworking, was on hand Friday for the opening with his wooden creations made from windfall wood or wood from small, local mills. Much of the items he produces are also made using no nails at all and finished with techniques that help it maintain its beauty for years. In a normal year, he said he would spend the Christmas season at bazaars but this year, COVID-19 canceled all three to which he had committed.

“It’s really nice. It helps with the cash flow and it gives us something to do,” he said of the holiday market.

Having a market to go to was especially helpful for the younger members of Steger Family Farms, a local meat producer in their first year. Barbara Soto explained that the venture really started with an interest in FFA projects by her niece, Makayla Steger, that blossomed into a family business. With COVID-19 closing schools and extracurricular activities such as FFA, Soto said the farmer market gave the kids of the family invaluable learning experiences. 



“It gave them something to do and something to look forward to,” Soto said. “All their shows were canceled. All their markets were canceled. They still wanted to do their projects and this gave them a purpose so they weren’t just out there doing projects in futility.”

Some of the current offerings at the holiday market include: meat; produce; baked goods; jams and jellies; wooden items; soaps; honey; knit and crochet items; glass bird feeders; jewelry; masks; raw wool; teas; kettle corn; games; and kombucha. The Centralia Farmers Market also still has funds left in its SNAP Market Match program, meaning that any customer spending SNAP benefits to purchase fruit, veggies, mushrooms, herbs or seeds and edible plants will get a dollar for dollar match from the market.

“That’s just something we’re able to do for our shoppers who are utilizing those programs,” Shankle said.

And if anyone is wondering what the Centralia Farmers Market is asking Santa for, Shankle said first health and peace.

Because of COVID-19, the market was not able to do any fund-raising projects, which pay for items such as advertising, a market manager salary and needed supplies for the market season. She said she would encourage anyone looking to make a Christmas or end-of-year donation to think about the farmers market.

About the Market 

What: Centralia Farmers Market and Centralia Factory Outlets presents Holiday Farmers Market  

When: Noon-6 p.m. Weekends through Dec. 27. Closed Dec. 25.

Where: Former location of DressBarn in the Centralia Outlets

Information: centraliafarmersmarket.org or @centraliafarmersmarket on Facebook