Holiday market celebrates 15 years
The 15th annual Bonners Ferry Holiday Market was held inside the middle school this past Saturday, Nov. 23.
Jim Lochard mans the duct tape weaponry and paracord bracelet table at the market.
Judith Miller, of Wildwood Soap Company, with her large selection of hand crafted soap.
Becky Hoskins’ felted hats made from wool are crafted to fashionably keep heads warm.
Colorfully painted rocks were displayed for sale at the Lochard family table.
Photo by TONIA BROOKS Colleen Lochard and Becky Hoskins talk with a customer during the event.
BONNERS FERRY — On Saturday, Nov. 23, the 15th annual Bonners Ferry Holiday Market was held inside the middle school. Many creative and talented vendors were set up with various items for sale.
Beginning in 1980, the Bonners Ferry Farmers Market has been offering the community the opportunity to purchase locally grown produce and craft items on a regular basis. It wasn’t until 2004 that organizers added the Holiday Market to the event schedule and found it was a success.
Many of the same vendors who are present during the spring and summer seasonal farmers market were on hand with vegetables and other winter crops, along with some new vendors who came out to join the market for the holiday season.
Vendor Becky Hoskins stated that she had a good turnout of customers throughout the day, and most visitors arrived earlier in the day prior to the rain storm. Hoskins makes felted hats from wool.
“I make these from rovings, so when it felts, you don’t see any of the lines, it felts solid,” said Hoskins.
Winter produce was available by local growers, along with an assortment of crafts from local artisans and producers from out of the area. Folks from McLaury’s Apiaries brought a variety of honey and apiary products, from Libby, Mont.
Carol Peterson hand-knits what she refers to as “bun hats” in all different colors of yarn and designs. Peterson said she is able to make custom items by request. She sells her knitted hats and other items from her etsy store, Forests Collections.
Many of the crafts were created together by families.
A table display full of artistically painted rocks for sale and some paracord bracelets with duct tape weaponry for the children was put together by Jim and Colleen Lochard and their two children, Maire, 16, and Liam, 13.
Handmade soaps in a variety of recipes such as blackberry, evergreen, and one called the Blanket of Stars that is largely made from charcoal were displayed for sale by Wildwood Soap Company.
“It was a nice day,” said Judith Miller of Wildwood Soap Company. “The weather cooperated with us and it didn’t snow on us.”
Soap items are available by mail order from her website for those customers who would like to shop online.
More information on the Bonners Ferry Farmers Market can be found on their Facebook page at Bonners Ferry Farmers Market. The spring market opens in April 2020.
Becky Hoskins can be contacted at: 208-304-6902.
Contact Forests Collections by phone at 208-304-4231.
Wildwood Soap; wildwoodsoap.com.