Mornings at the Market to be unveiled June 2

Fortified by a collaboration with Sisters Makers and a Citizens4Community grant, Sisters Farmers Market will launch its new Mornings at the Market program June 2.

Mornings at the Market will engage the Sisters community with programs for kids and adults alike. Some will take place indoors, which is new for the market.

According to market manager Willa Bauman, a Fill Your Garden event on Opening Day will feature plant starts and garden-related activities (Click here to see related story.).

For the June 16 market, “We will have an informational cupping, which is a coffee tasting, with Bohemian Roastery,” she said. Later on in the season, Broadus Bees will bring in a special beehive so that people can safely observe bees at work.

Many programs will take place in the building at the northeastern edge of Fir Street Park, where Sisters Farmers Market is held every Sunday.

Yoga at the Market

“We’re bringing yoga back to the market,” said Bauman. Lawn yoga at Sisters Farmers Market was popular with visitors several years ago, but the grassy areas currently available aren’t smooth enough.

“It will be on the stage, which is nice and quiet and shady in the morning,” Bauman explained.

Yoga at the Market will take place Sunday mornings 10:15–11 a.m., hosted by Three Sisters Yoga Studio. “It’s donation-based; everyone is welcome to attend,” said Bauman.

Music on the Songbird Stage

Sundays after yoga class, music will grace the park’s iconic stage. “Music will start around 11:30 or noon,” Bauman said. “We will have live music every market day.” The Bunkhouse Two, featuring former members of Sugar Street String Band, will kick off the season.

Kids & More

Opening Day will feature a scavenger hunt encouraging kids to explore the whole market. This educational activity is part of Kids Club, provided each week by Seed to Table programs director, farmer and educator Hannah Joseph.

Seed bombs on June 2 and The Great Sunflower Project on June 9 will offer fun for all ages, according to Bauman. Later in the season, Crumbs Kids’ cooking class will return.

Collaboration with Sisters Makers

How does a farmers market gain access to space in a nicely appointed building? In this case, it took collaboration and vision.

“Over the winter we were approached by Shannon Thorson, who was starting Sisters Makers,” Bauman elaborated. “The City had just released an RFP [request for proposal] to lease the building.” The building in question is located alongside Fir Street Park at 291 E. Main Ave., former home of Sisters Chamber of Commerce.

“Being near Fir Street Park, we were very interested. We felt that it should be in community use,” said Bauman. The conversation expanded to include destination management organization Explore Sisters and the nonprofit EDCO, Economic Development for Central Oregon.

All involved “thought it was a great community fit,” said Bauman. Seed to Table, the nonprofit organization that employs Bauman and runs the market, “worked with Sisters Makers to develop their lease proposal, and it was accepted by the City.”

The mission of Sisters Makers is to support entrepreneurial-minded artists, makers, growers and innovators through facilities, education and advocacy, according to Thorson.

“You know, the farmers market is somewhat of an entry point for many incipient-phase artists, makers, and growers. Involving them in the process is really important,” said Thorson. “Sisters Farmers Market takes place adjacent to the building we’re in, so that’s very convenient.”

Said Bauman, “Shannon is a supporter of the market, so she offered us use of the main room. We can fit vendors inside, and it allows us to host community activities away from the sound of the stage and the noise of the market.”

As part of the arrangement, Sisters Makers will have booth opportunities at the market, for vending and informational purposes. “We’re interested in serving folks,” said Thorson.

She continued, “In Sisters, when you look at the cost of livability, it’s important that we do everything we can to strengthen this group of people because let’s face it, they need to be able to earn a good income in order to live here.”

Look for more about Sisters Makers in an upcoming issue of The Nugget.

Essential Information

Bauman is still programming a variety of events and activities for Mornings at the Market. This year, the market plans to stay open a full five months, June to October, except for September 29 and October 13 during city-wide events.

Sisters Farmers Market takes place Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fir Street Park, a half block north of Cascade Avenue/Highway 20 in downtown Sisters. SNAP/EBT and other currencies are accepted. Learn more at http://www.sistersfarmersmarket.com; see also @sistersfarmersmarket on Instagram.