Portneuf Valley Farmers Market promises its first wintertime event won’t be ‘just another craft fair’

POCATELLO – A popular farmers market will have its first-ever Winter Market this weekend and may add even more events during the cold weather months, depending on this one’s success.

Portneuf Valley Farmers Market is holding the market today and tomorrow at the Westwood Mall, located at 1800 Garrett Way. It started at noon and will end at 7 p.m. on Friday, and then will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday. While there will be plenty of vendors selling treats and crafts for last-minute holiday shopping, there will also be four farming vendors in attendance.

“We’ve always been a farmer’s market first,” said Market Manager Ellen Loomis. “We will not be just another craft fair. We’re always gonna want those farmers to be there with something.”

Its four farming vendors, Koehen Trout Farm, Whimsey Farms, Swore Farms and Evans Farmstead Cheese, will offer vegetables that are “hardy” during the winter, like potatoes and onions, as well as cheese. Attendees will be able to find these vendors alongside 39 others that most will recognize from the regular farmer’s market.

Children who are at the market from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday will have the chance to get their picture with Santa Claus.

Loomis and the rest of the market organizers started working on holding this event after a number of her regular vendors began to ask if a market during the winter would be possible.

“And boy howdy, that was a big ask,” Loomis said. She knew they would have to hold it indoors, due to how unpredictable the weather would be. After inquiring about indoor spaces, Loomis found that the Westwood mall would be available and decided to book it.

Loomis plans to meet with the market’s board of directors in January, and if this market is successful, they could hold future markets during the wintertime.

“(We’ll) discuss how it went and discuss whether or not it’s feasible to do winter markets more often than just Christmas,” Loomis said.

One vendor who hopes to see more markets in the winter is Jay Bench, owner of Friendship Shack, offering a variety of cookies, sweetbreads (including one called “ice cream bread”) and jewelry. Bench sees it as an even “stronger” option for many of the vendors.

“Now we’re looking at people specifically targeting the holidays, and so people come looking for those holiday items,” Bench said.

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