By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

Halfway through the summer season, the Columbia Falls Community Market is doing well at its new, more spacious venue in a field adjacent to St. Richard Catholic Church.

“I love this venue,” longtime vendor and potter Cindy Shaw said. “There is so much more space for people to mill about.”

Shaw has been participating in the market for about 20 years now, when it got its start in the lawn at the former First Citizens Bank.

The new venue has plenty of space for people to walk around in, listen to music and browse the many vendors.

“The sandbox for little ones is unbelievably cool,” Shaw said.

Grant Marcuccio of WhiteStar Organics, which sells fresh produce and is the only certified organic farm in the valley, had similar sentiments.

“It can’t even compare (to the old location),” he said. “It’s nice to be on a grassy lawn. Everyone is happy.”

The market leases the lot from the Boys and Girls Club, having moved from its previous location at the Coop, which was closer to downtown.

At Monday’s city council meeting, acting police chief Brandon Rice said the new location has been working well, save for some parking issues.

He noted fewer people are crossing Highway 2 and being away from the busy road has helped with safety.

So far this year the nonprofit market has had about 21,000 visitors, featured 112 local businesses as vendors and vendors have had $483,520 collectively in sales over 10 markets, director Melissa Ellis said.

The market received about $31,000 in in-kind donations and $1,775 in cash donations. The in-kind donations included a host of work and materials to put up a fence and create a gravel access road from the church parking lot to the site.

It has also featured 25 nonprofits.

Anyone that is interested in being a vendors at the Columbia Falls Community Market for the last markets can apply online cfcommunitymarket.com/vendors, Ellis noted.

In addition, people looking to donate to the market can do so on line at cfcommunitymarket.com/donate or at the Market on Thursdays between 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. at the gate. 

All donations are tax deductible, as the market is a 501(c)3 corporation.