SEELEY LAKE - It’s nothing new for people to gather at the Seeley Lake Community Center for the farmer’s market, but this one was celebrating a significant milestone.
The Seeley Lake Market is celebrating its 15th anniversary by honoring its founders — and the vendors who have been there since day one.
“It was just me and my friend Karen Pratt and just the community showing up, and to me, it was the vendor's respect for one another, respect for me, respect for the market and their willingness to take a risk," recalled market founder Vicki Voegelin.
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation took over for Voegelin five years ago and kept the market going while also keeping its small-town charm.
“We felt that the market was great support and a great way for local vendors, hobbyists, crafters, people who made jams and jellies," noted Seeley Lake Community Foundation director Carla Shade. "The locals have a spot to be able all summer long to sell their wares.
Community markets in small towns can be essential to the livelihoods of those who live in them and it was that need which pushed Voegelin to create this market.
“I had a little Cafe across the street here and I could just see the need for this community to have a place to be that it wasn’t, it was all-inclusive. There was one place that everyone could come together and just put everything aside and have an egg sandwich and a cup of coffee and buy some veggies and some pottery and I knew this town needed that and I created that."
The Seeley Lake Market will continue every Sunday through Labor Day weekend at the Seeley Lake Community Center.
