Children mean business at Monroe Farm to Table market

From jewelry to hair accessories, last week's Farm to Table Kids Vendor Day Farmers Market allowed young entrepreneurs to demonstrate their creativity and showcase their wares.

Located in Traveler's Park in downtown Monroe, the Farm to Table Farmers Market takes place 3-7 p.m. every Wednesday along Ann Street. In addition to Kids Vendor Day, Farm to Table Coordinator Molly Daniels has numerous themed market events planned for upcoming weeks, including Seahawks Day with Blitz the mascot, which is on Wednesday, Sept. 9.-á

Each week, Farm to Table vendors offer fresh produce, pasture-raised chicken, handcrafted jewelry, home d+¬cor, fresh eggs, locally produced wine, hot food and more. Adam's Northwest Bistro & Brewery owner Chef Adam Hoffman operates the Farm to Table beer garden each week, serving up his own craft brews. There are live musical performances and activities for kids, including face painting by Ninyel Masterjohn and balloon animals by Sean the Balloon Guy.

Last week's kids theme meant even more for children to do. The Monroe Boys & Girls Club featured potato car races, allowing kids to create their own racecars out of potatoes, marshmallows and Oreo-style cookies. They positioned a miniature racetrack close by, so kids could race each other once they got their cars decorated just right.-á

Daniels recruited local country music sensation and recent Monroe High School graduate Dakota Neuman to perform during Kids Vendor Day. The personable young singer spent several hours demonstrating versatility and range with songs like "Sherry,GÇ¥ which is one of the songs that helped him win the 2015 Washington Nashville Country Star competition earlier this year.

Eleven-year-old Hailey Flickinger of Hailey's Hair Candy displayed her line of custom headbands and hair accessories. She said she started making hair products out of sheer necessity, inspired by her own struggles to find a headband that worked for her.-á -á

"I love wearing headbands, but they either hurt or they slipped off my head really easy because I have really fine hair and not a lot of it,GÇ¥ Flickinger said. "So, they always slipped off.GÇ¥

Flickinger's mom helped her get her business off the ground. Together, the two devised a headband style that was washable, attractive and, most importantly, comfortable.

"Sometimes I even forget it's there,GÇ¥ Flickinger said. "It holds all the fly-aways back and, because of the velvet on the back, it doesn't slip. And you can put them in the washing machine.GÇ¥

Flickinger's handcrafted headbands come in four different sizes, from infant up to adult. The colorful cloth headbands work in conjunction with her flower-festooned hair clips; she offered a deal for customers who purchased one of each. Flickinger has her own Facebook page, and customers can purchase her products at Bee Bops and Lollipops, which is in downtown Snohomish.

Eight-year-old Ciarra McCrain featured handcrafted decorative flowers, created out of colorful cloth, pipe cleaners and buttons, along with her handmade bracelets. Her mom, Sharina, is a regular at the market, serving up lattes and blended coffee drinks out of her mobile coffee shop, Sharinabean's.

Other young entrepreneurs featured everything from jewelry made from hemp to brightly colorful tutus.-á -á

To see Daniel's calendar of upcoming farmers market events, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/farmtotablemonroe. Upcoming themed markets include Seahawks Day on Wednesday, Sept. 9, Bearcats day on Sept. 23 and Oktoberfest on Oct. 7. Daniels is seeking additional live musical performers and volunteers to help with set up and tear down, and she can be contacted at farmtotablemonroe@outlook.com.