In Thurston County, summer has taken its sweet time arriving but now that it’s finally here, grab a shopping buddy and enjoy it at Girlfriends Vintage Market. This annual event is a great opportunity to enjoy a snack or a full-on lunch, spend time with friends – and, of course, discover the latest treasures from organizers, Sharon Kagy and Shelly Couey. Fair warning: if crowds are not your thing, wait until mid-afternoon to avoid the morning rush.
Repeat customers and professional dealers are the norm at the eagerly anticipated summer market, one of several the pair produce throughout the year for lovers of all things antique, primitive, rusty and vintage. The 2016 summer market will be held at Schilter Family Farm on Friday, August 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, with children under 12 getting in free. There is no charge for parking.
Kagy says they pick their vendors with care. “We look for people who have a good eye and can find unique and beautiful things that are good quality and know how to display them,” she says. “It’s important to give customers ideas of how they could display items in their own homes.”
“Experience is helpful, but we welcome new vendors into the show each year,” says Kagy. “Good customer service is the most important thing.” Boka Island Fusion will be on hand both days offering their delicious combination of Hawaiian, Filipino, Chamorro, and fusion dishes.
This is the fourth year the market has been held at Schilter Family Farm, and Kagy says the setting is perfect for the show. “We love this location,” she says. “Shelly and I both really appreciate old historic buildings and this barn was built somewhere around 1870. The timbers are hand-hewed and the ceiling just soars.”
From the outside, the barn looks fairly typical, she says, but once you step inside it takes your breath away. “It’s really fun to watch our customers come in the main entrance. Their mouths drop open.” The farm is also easily accessible from I-5.
The event was originally held at the Thurston County Fairgrounds and maintained the same number of vendors for several years. “When we moved to Schilter Farm we were able to add more vendors and attendance increased quite a bit,” says Kagy. “It feels really fun and great to us. People love it so much and are devoted to coming and bringing their friends.” Every year, the crowd has grown.
While she’s happy to see the expansion, Kagy is clear that they want to keep the market manageable, even if that means staying smaller than it could be. “We don’t necessarily want it to be massive,” she says. “It’s so unique and amazing as it is. We’re very proud of it.”
Part of that pride comes from the quality of their merchandise. “We have no commercial products at all,” says Kagy. “A few crafters have discovered ways to repurpose old items and make them into something that’s pretty or functional.”
Mainly, the pair want visitors to feel inspired by what they see. “We appreciate old things and vintage things and like to see those being passed on and incorporated into people’s homes and gardens. We want the shopping experience to feel personal, like the vendor cares about them and cares about what they’re buying and can give them a little bit of history. We want people to have fun, too.”
To learn more about Girlfriends Vintage Markets visit their Facebook page or call 360-791-7632.
