Registration open for Kids Makers Market in Cashmere, Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH - Registration is now open for Cascade Market's Cashmere and Leavenworth Kids Makers Market. The Makers Market provides an opportunity for local children to learn about selling at the farmer's market, counting and managing money, and using their creativity.

"The Kids Makers Market is a long-standing tradition of ours where we set up a kids-only market adjacent to the Farmers Markets once a month from May to September," said Cali Osborne, Executive Director of Cascade Community Markets.

"They get to practice customer service skills, learn to count change, and learn what it takes to prepare for a market, set up, and host a vending booth," Osborne said.

"This is an opportunity for any artist, crafter, or entrepreneur under the age of 18 to sell their works to the public for real money," she said. "Every year, we are more and more impressed by what our local children create."

Makers can sell anything they made with their own hands or designed independently. Common products include paintings, jewelry, duct tape wallets, nature crafts, and even slime. 

However, they are not allowed to sell anything edible, such as baked goods, jams, etc.

Osborne said the market is a lot of fun for kids.

"At every Kids Makers Market, we see the young entrepreneurs shopping at each other's booths, bartering and trading, and even trading with the Farmers Market vendors, too," she said.

Osborne said the number of participants in the Kids Makers Market during the school year is usually smaller, with about five to ten kids. During the summer, the number of makers is closer to 20.

Last year, the farmer's market hosted eight maker's markets, and it plans to host nine this year. Registration is accepted on a rolling basis.

"As long as our young vendors comply with the rules, they can sign up as little as 24 hours before an event," Osborne said. "We have lots of space at both markets, so the more, the merrier."

The Leavenworth Kids Makers Markets will be on June 22, July 20,  Aug. 17 and  Sept. 21.

The Cashmere Kids Makers Markets dates are May 26, June 23, July 21, Aug. 18, and Sept. 22.

Cascade Community Markets is the organization that operates the Leavenworth and Cashmere Community Farmers Markets. The Leavenworth Community Farmers Market was founded in 2008. 

In 2021, the organization began managing the new Cashmere Community Farmers Market. In 2022, the Cashmere Market was gifted to the organization by the community members who founded it. That prompted the name change to Cascade Community Markets to represent both communities.

"The Leavenworth and Cashmere Community Farmers Markets are truly for all families," Osborne said. "We have family friendly music, a play mat with books and toys for littles, a Kids Education Booth with a rotation of kids activities hosted by local nonprofits, and we accept these food access benefits: SNAP EBT, Senior & WIC FMNP, and Summer EBT. We even double the value of both EBT programs up to $25/market day."

Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.