The Whitewater City Market is starting its indoor version of the city’s market, which will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. through November to April. It will be hosted at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library in the Community Room. 

Here, farmers, producers, artisans, and community members can sell items they have made, grown, or baked while also creating an environment that allows them to interact with friends and neighbors at the market itself. Not to mention, like other years, the indoor market will be in a cozy space during the cold season to keep warm while shopping. 

A focus regarding the indoor market in addition to connection with the community is also to provide a yearlong opportunity for vendors to reach their customers. 

“In the absence of a traditional grocery store in Whitewater many of our indoor season patrons use the weekly market as a source of food items for themselves and their family,” said board chair Lisa Dawsey Smith.

The indoor market is considered a “scaled down” version of the outdoor market, but do not let that discourage your interest as vendors, such as Fremont Sweets, will sell at the indoor market. 

Fremont Sweets has been vending at the market for five years and will be at the market starting January. They sell freshly baked goods that are made from ingredients that are found locally. For example, the eggs used are bought from a local lady in Whitewater. For fresh fruits, such as apples, they purchase from Steffen’s Orchards in Fort Atkinson. Fremont Sweets is always looking for something new and special to bring to the market. Fremont Sweets also makes sweets for students at UW-Whitewater. Parents will reach out to Fremont Sweets and ask for them to bake goodies and cupcakes for their students for events such as their birthday. Fremont Sweets used to have a bakery in town, so there were some returning customers, along with new customers from the market, that they have been able to create relationships with. 

“I love the vendors, it’s a really nice way to connect,” said Fremont Sweets Becky Schaeffer. “My kids are grown, once they’re gone and you just work. So, it’s really nice to be able to connect with people like minded” 

Some previous vendors, such as Kit Braman, started selling in the indoor market in the winter of 2020 as a way to share their talent while also making some extra income. Although Kit’s Knits will not attend this upcoming indoor market, she was able to share some of her experience while vending at the market.

 “I love community engagement. I’ve met so many amazing people because of the city market and have been able to be a part of so many different events because of it,” said Braman.

This season, the Whitewater City Market will collaborate on two larger market opportunities this time around alongside the weekly Saturday market. The first larger market opportunity is on Saturday Nov. 5, which invites the community to support the First English Lutheran Church’s Christkindlmarket. This is an opportunity to experience a German Christmas market which will include: shopping, food, and music. 

Additionally, the Whitewater City Market has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to host the first annual Shop Small Business Holiday Market, which will be an outdoor holiday market on Saturday, Nov. 26 at Cravath Lakefront Park.