A Christmas parade and tree lighting ceremony took place after the second annual holiday market in Yakima Sunday evening.
Brianna Stratton, Downtown Business Association events coordinator, said the market brings everyone together for some last minute shopping during the busiest consumer weekend of the year.
“I really like getting everybody together one last time over the holidays throughout the year,” she said. “A lot of these vendors become your family, and so getting to see them one last time and celebrate with them makes it really fun.”
One business at the market, Canyon Bloom Pedals for Patients, is a non profit flower farm. Holly Schilperoort, production and volunteer coordinator, said the business donates flowers for those in need.
“We love being in the community and sharing with people who don’t know about what we do and ways that they can volunteer with us, and of course, selling our fresh, evergreen and dried floral wreaths that are from the farm,” she said. “If you had to buy a wreath, purchase it from us. It all goes towards being able to run our program and donate flowers for free.”
Schilperoot said the non-profit sells 50% of the flowers they grow to help run the program, and every purchase allows them to give flowers away the next flower farming season.
The market has only been a tradition for a short period of time, but has gone hand in hand with Sunday’s tree lighting since it began, Stratton said.
“This will be my fifth year doing the tree downtown and it is always so fun seeing the community come together,” she said. “Everyone just comes out and celebrates the holidays and we do the countdown for the tree and it’s just really great to see everybody out there excited.”
