Montesano’s Saturday Morning Market starts its third season today, offering up local artisans, live music and fresh foods.
With 20 to 30 vendors signed up to participate this summer, not counting the weekly slate of musicians, you’d think it would take a committee to run this operation. But you would be wrong.
“It’s just me,” said event coordinator Angie Brown. “I created it, and I’ve done pretty much everything.”
Well, maybe not everything.
“My youngest daughter, Ava (age 12), has been to every market with me, helping me organize stuff,” she said. “She’s been a big help.”
Still, Brown has her hands full.
“Every year it’s grown such a great amount. It’s really exciting,” she said. “A lot of people that were here last year are coming back, and we have a ton of new vendors. We have someone doing henna, we have someone doing face painting, we have several different kinds of food.”
Several local farms also are participating. Brown said there were two in 2017 and she has four signed up this year. “I don’t know if they’ll all be there every weekend, but somebody will be.”
She noted that there’s no requirement for any vendor to be there for the entire season.
“I let them come whenever they want, so they can pay the $25 for the summer or $5 for the day,” said Brown. “I don’t want to tell anybody ‘You have to be here.’ It’s summer, so I’m giving them some grace where they can have a fun summer and come to the market.”
A new feature this year is Doggie Day, scheduled for Aug. 4. Several dog-related activities will be featured that day, such as contests for canine costumes and tricks.
“I noticed (the first Saturday of August) was kind of a null day at the market, so I wanted to bring something in for people to be excited about,” said Brown.
She added that no other themed events are planned for this season, but “I hope that as things grow we can do more special days, just because it brings a different kind of audience in.”
The biggest change this summer involves the music.
“We’re able to pay for our music this year. Our Community Credit Union is sponsoring it,” said Brown. “So we’re gonna have two hours of music now, from 10 to noon.”
Stone Soup, a Montesano-based nonprofit organization, is supplying a different musical act each week. Charles Ahrens of Aberdeen will kick it off this weekend, with Hoquiam native Clinton Mullins playing July 14.
Visitors might even catch Monte’s own Kitty Mady taking a break from selling her homemade personal care products to join in.
“I try to set up by the bandstand so I can play my spoons,” Mady said in a recent Facebook post.
And that just about sums up the general atmosphere of the Saturday Morning Market.
“It’s just so laid-back. You’re able to hang out,” said Brown. “My goal is to get picnic tables down there sometime so you can have a place to gather.”
The market will continue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Aug. 25 at Fleet Park in Montesano.
Anyone interested in being a vendor may contact Brown at angiebrown4@comcast.net or 360-589-8926.
^
MUSIC SCHEDULE
July 7: Charles Ahrens
July 14: Clinton Mullins
July 21: Daniel Walker
July 28: Lisa Ramsauer
Aug. 4: Conner Nuckols
Aug. 11: Ken Albert and Christine Hill
Aug. 18: Emmanuel Simmons
Aug. 25: Conner and Friends
