Christmas lights strung along the ceiling, wooden floors, and a stone fireplace that goes up to the ceiling. Everyday mom and pop vendors lined up along the walls of the Mulhauser Barn. 

Every winter, West Chester Township holds a winter market, formerly known as the Winter Farmers Market, that hosts local businesses giving them a place to sell their products during the winter. The winter market is held on alternating weekends from November 16, 2024 to March 15, 2025. 

The winter market hosts a wide variety of different booths with different vendors. All of the businesses at the winter market are locally produced and grown. None of the products sold at the winter market are allowed to be imported; it is policy that all of the products are grown locally according to the person who organizes the market, Barbara Wilson. Wilson also claimed that the most important thing about the winter market is the sense of community it creates. 

“It’s all about building a sense of community, people come to these activities with their family, friends, neighbors, and it really builds a sense of community,” said Wilson.

The different vendors there sell products such as jams, butters, crafts, cheeses, baked goods, and even lotions. Mwimbula is a small business bakery and coffee roaster that is run by Debra Listen. She roasts her own coffee and makes all of her bakery items the day before or the day of the event. Listen has been selling her coffee and baked goods at the winter market for over 6 years. Listen’s booth had a unique display of baked goods on top of bright white tablecloths, representing the seasonal tone of the barn. 

“I really like seeing everybody come together during the winter,” Listen told Spark.

Another business at the winter market is A Rare Jewel, run by Lakota mother Valerie Sumate. Sumate sells homemade spreadables such as different kinds of preserves, jams, and butters. All of her jars had decorative cloth and jewels on top of the lids and the main ingredient on every ingredient label is love. According to Sumate, the most appealing factor of her business is people’s nostalgia for the items.

“I want my jams to remind you of your grandma, or mother, you know childhood memories. It’s a rare jewel,” said Sumate.

Many people from all over the community come to the winter market to help support West Chester local businesses. The main goal of the winter market is to keep supporting local businesses all-year round, according to Wilson.

“It’s an opportunity for the small business operators to be able to still sell their local products regardless of the weather,” said Wilson.

The winter market has been hosted in West Chester for over 18 years; the last 6 years the market has been hosted in the Mulhauser Barn. The winter market is a seasonal version of the farmers market that West Chester holds in the Midpointe Library parking lot during the summer. The summer farmers market is very similar to the winter market, but the summer market has a greater focus on fresh produce and perishables. The location for the farmers market has an annually increasing amount of vendors which causes them to constantly move venues with additional available space. 

The West Chester Market was started by The Seed Barn, a local business. The Seed Barn was owned and run by the Rosselot family. The Rosselot family hosted the farmers market for many years before West Chester township took it over. 

Visitors of all ages came to support local small businesses. Winter market attendee Susan Miller stated that she enjoys the winter market and the festive atmosphere.

“I love that it’s in the barn, it brings everyone together,” Miller told Spark.