Young entrepreneurs are now a regular feature at the Waimate Community Market.

After trialling free stalls for kids in January and seeing a strong response, the market committee has decided to make the idea permanent.

School-aged children can now book a stall at the market free of charge. This gives them the opportunity to run their own stall, practice handling money and build social skills and confidence.

The only requirement is that a parent stays nearby, and bookings are essential.

Young entrepreneurs bringing a bit of colour to the market with feathers, and fresh and dried flower arrangements.

Saturday mornings in Seddon Square

By mid-morning on Saturdays, Seddon Square is full of stalls and shoppers.

The market runs under the trees from 9am to midday. It has the feel of a traditional farmers market - fresh produce, butchery, plants, flowers, cheese and chutney, plus great coffee. But you’ll also find vintage stalls, jewellery, crafts, homewares and gifts.

It started inside the old Waimate Knitwear Factory in the early 2000s, running on the first Saturday of each month.

Lorraine Stevenson, a local home baker, was one of the early stallholders. In the days leading up to market day she’d spend hours baking, decorating and packing at home - and by all accounts would sell out every time, usually first.

She still bakes today for Positive Waimate, so if you see their stall at the market, try to get your hands on Lorraine’s baking.

Lorraine also remembers going to a market at Seddon Square more than 40 years ago with her children. It wasn’t a regular event back then - just the occasional market day.

The Gin Club

These days the market is run by a small volunteer committee under Waimate Community Market Inc.

They jokingly call committee meetings “Gin Club”.

There’s a great culture among the stallholders as well as the committee. If someone needs help setting up, packing down or needs to duck away for five minutes, others step in.

The committee/gin club:

Chairperson: Katie Beemster
Vice Chairperson: Dixie Boraman
Treasurer: Lynne Wild
Secretary: Siobhan Goodman
Committee: Christala Christofi, Jennie Jefferis, Janelle Roguski, Macy Flor de Gavilan, Phil Wild.

Funds back to the community

After insurance and advertising are paid for, the rest of the money raised through stall holder fees goes straight back into the community, with around $4,000 a year given away.

Over time that’s supported things like biodiversity plantings, sports clubs, schools, the community radio station, the food bank, the Waimate Trail and the fire brigade, among others. On bigger themed market days - like the Spring Fling - every dollar raised is passed on.

Waimate District Council helps out too. It doesn’t charge the market to use Seddon Square and is very supportive behind the scenes, sending the Parks team down when something needs sorting.