Treat Yourself
The Newport Farmers Market provides a feast for the senses
Story and photos by Andrea McCabe
Oregon Coast TODAY
The Newport Farmers Market creates an adventure for all five senses as one meanders among the stands on the corner of Angle and Highway 101. Mouthwatering scents of fresh Guatemalan cuisine rise from Colomos food booth. Pops of color are seen everywhere, from ripe produce to the sun glinting off beaded jewelry. The sound of a melodic flute carries in the breeze as customers admire the soft texture of upcycled sweaters and munch on gooey cinnamon rolls the size of a large hand. The market is open Saturdays from mid-March to mid-December and has an abundance of products from up to 60 vendors, whether looking for a morning snack or warm clothing to wear for trips to the beach.
Elysium Treats highlight the decadent delights found at the market. Owner and baker Luca Lefay began selling his gluten free and vegan products at the market two years ago. Skills cultivated from culinary school and experience baking professionally for more than ten years are evident in his sweet creations.
“It is tough to start a new business in food but I have slowly been working my way up there,” he said. “Everyone is really friendly here. A lot more than other markets I have been at. It is good business.”
Lefay enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. Ice cream and granola are two foods that provide an edible canvas for him to mix and match flavors.
“I like experimenting with unique flavors and things that aren't standard,” he said. “It is always fun to play around with things like that.”
A vegan and gluten free oreo wrapped in a thick chocolate chip cookie is one of Lefay’s specialities. Other stuffed cookies include a chocolate cookie peanut butter bomb and a snickerdoodle cookie stuffed with housemade gingerbread cookie butter, also known as a ginger doodle.
Shelby Lierman’s bouquets emphasize the creative arrangement of flowers. She was inspired to start Bullfrog Blooms Farm two seasons ago when she fell in love with floriculture while working at an agriculture farm.
“When I came here I just started buying every seed packet that I liked,” Lierman said with a laugh. “A couple of years ago I just began experimenting with what I could grow in Toledo because it is a very strange growing region.”
Lierman’s bouquets showcase beautiful arrays of individually textured organic annuals and perennials grown on her small acreage farm.
“I like everything to have little tiny hidden gems so I have a ton of different things,” she said. “It is an art form. It is very specific.”
Prioritizing sustainability, Lierman provides $2 discounts on bouquets to those who bring their own empty glass jars.
“I do a jar exchange to try and recycle,” she said. “I don't like to use any plastic. I try to make it all waste free.”
Christine Sherman’s recycled clothing stand also accentuates creativity at the market and the importance of sustainability. The name FrankenThreads was inspired by the Frankenstien story.
“In Frankenstien’s monster he is taken from pieces and parts of dead people sewn together with a little bit of electricity to bring it back to life,” Sherman said. “I take old, dead sweaters, things that no one is going to wear on their own. I cut them apart, take pieces and parts from each sweater, sew them back together with a little bit of electricity and give them a new life. It is a little play on Frankenstien’s monster.”
Sherman began selling her reanimated clothing in 2015 after years of sewing sweaters for herself, friends and family. She sells her products online and at various farmers markets along the coast. Markets have helped her business flourish among locals.
“I have a lot of regular customers that love my items,” she said. “They come back every week and buy something.”
Sherman also sells hats, bonfire covers and arm sleeves. Much of the donated fabric holds meaning and history for people.
“In the off-season when we are not doing the Newport Farmers Market I do special orders for people,” she said. “I do a lot of memorial items like if your loved one passes away, I can take their sweaters and make a whole new hoodie or coat from them.”
The Newport Farmers Market is a great way to experience the innovative atmosphere of community along the coast. Whether looking for a sweet treat or a warm sweater, the market has a diverse assortment of products to choose from. Hungry? Check out TicTacTaco, Guatemalan food and pasta from Colomos, grilled cheese sandwiches and soups from Em's Treats and Crepe-Alicious.
The Newport Farmers Market is open from 9 am to 1 pm every Saturday until mid-December. The market is located in a parking lot on Hwy. 101 at Angle Street, across from Newport City Hall. For more information, go to newportfarmersmarket.org or call 541-961-8236.