Eugene’s Saturday Market Features Arts, Crafts, Produce
arts, business, culture, eugene, lane county farmers’ market, saturday market,
The people of Eugene are completely sold on the Saturday Market.
The weekly festival of unusual arts‚ crafts and international food has been a mainstay on the Park Blocks in downtown Eugene since 1970‚ making it the oldest weekly open-air crafts fest in the United States. The community get-together takes place every Saturday morning and afternoon from early April through mid-November.
“We have more than 800 artisans who participate throughout the year‚ with about 300 selling their wares on any given Saturday‚” says Beth Little‚ general manager of the Saturday Market. “Besides the 300 artisans‚ the Lane County Farmers’ Market is also set up right next door‚ with 80 booths full of organic produce on sale to the public.”
Little says many established businesses got their start at the Saturday Market.
“It gives people a chance to incubate‚ to learn their market strategies and display strategies‚” she says. “They can fine-tune their productivity and their artistry here before making the decision to establish a full-time business.”
The Saturday Market has an annual operating budget of $450‚000‚ with all money raised from a percentage of vendor sales.
“Sales total about $2.5 million a year‚ which includes craft items as well as food booths‚” Little says. “We offer an international court of food items that include burritos‚ Afghani food‚ Indian food‚ Thai selections‚ pizza and much more.” An adjacent stage features various musical groups and individuals.
When the Saturday Market completes its yearly run in November‚ everything moves indoors to the Lane County Fairgrounds. The name is changed to Holiday Market‚ with the event continuing on Saturdays as well as Sundays until a few days before Christmas.
“Saturday Market and Holiday Market are true expressions of what being in Lane County is all about‚” Little says. “There are some really talented artists from all backgrounds in this community.”
There are also talented artists of all ages. For example‚ 15-year-old Bim Ditson makes and sells a variety of chain-maille metal jewelry.
“I’ve actually been with Saturday Market since I was 9‚” Ditson says. “My parents stayed with me the first couple of Saturdays‚ and I’ve run the booth by myself ever since. I really like the atmosphere of the whole event.”
Then there is 81-year-old Carol Jacobs‚ who runs a weekly booth called The Burden Cloth.
“When I was gardening years ago‚ I’d load up a big piece of cloth with weeds‚ gather it up by the corners and then haul it to the compost bin‚” Jacobs says. “I eventually thought to put handles on each corner and finally reinforced the sides to make it a really strong product called The Burden Cloth.”
Friends told her about Saturday Market‚ and she gave it a try. Jacobs says many of her customers have a burden cloth in their car to take everything into the house after shopping‚ while other people use it to carry a baby or a family pet.
“It’s just an item that people find unique‚” she says. “That’s what Saturday Market is all about.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Stephen Cherry
