As we roll into our fifth year of Fall Market I can’t help but look back at how much we’ve grown and changed throughout the years, but also how so many things that were there that first year are still part of market every year.
While most people think of our first fall market as the one in 2020, 2019 was actually our first year.
At the time, Daniel and I (Danielle) were building our house, so we were living in my farm office—a 10x12 room—in the white building known for housing the cool off area during the heat of a market day.
I planned this event a month before, which consisted of creating a Facebook page and finding three vendors, Dalisha’s Desserts, Ruby Branch Farms and Edge Brothers Farm to participate. I had a little concession stand on the porch, set up a couple of yard games in the parking lot and Daniel did chicken house tours/hay rides. We had maybe 70 people come, the event brought in $200 which did not breakeven for what I had invested into it …and I was THRILLED with the results.
Chicken House Tours the very first year.
Ruby Branch Farms, they’ve been with us every year of market.
Dalisha’s Desserts
2020 was our first big year. Everyone had been cooped up all year and we ready to get out, have fun and support local. We grew to 30 vendors that year. I hired Kelley James Event to help me better orchestrate and grow the market, and gave Daniel the heads up “Hey, I think this year might be a whole lot bigger than last year.”
He wasn’t seeing the online engagement I was seeing, so he expected a 2019 crowd. So when car after car started rolling the day of 2020 market he was a little stressed about finding places to park all of them. Daniel wasn’t the only one who wasn’t mentally prepared for the crowd surge we experienced in 2020. Dakota Edge of Edge Brothers Farms sold out of pumpkins within the first hour and had to put in an SOS to his mom to bring more pumpkins and to come help check people out.
Again, as you might imagine, I was THRILLED at the end of the day. Daniel, however, had no energy left to spare by the time the day was over. 😂
We have continued to grow in the years that have followed. 2021 we had 50 vendors, better parking, more games, a tented eating area and the band played the entire event. 2022 we grew to 70 vendors, and even more efficient parking system, more volunteers behind the scenes to help things run smoother and an entire food court.
Rolling into 2023, I feel we’ve proven that we can host an event in the literal middle of nowhere and people will show up (for which I am so, so grateful to all of you that do) so, this year, our focus is more about fine tuning what we have grown Fall Market into. To me, that looks like focusing more on the aesthetics of the event, adding more family fun aspects, and making sure we are providing amenities that make both our vendors and guests comfortable.
When I say over and over, “we are so excited to welcome you back to the farm again this year,” it’s something I truly mean. We love getting to open our doors to the community this way every year and love getting to be a part of the many traditions I’ve witnessed come to be as a result of this event!
Here’s to another year of growth! We’ll see you September 30th!
Follow the event page HERE to stay up-to-date on all things Fall Market!
