The Town Hall at Currie buzzed with activity on Easter Saturday during the Products of King Island (POKI) Market.
Stallholders and shoppers were impressed by the market’s size, the diverse range of goods available and the bustling atmosphere within the packed hall.
The high turnout was likely as it has been quite a few months since the last Town Hall market; Summer season calendared major events have been run in the first quarter; football and netball are yet to start, and possibly fewer residents left the island for the long Easter break due to travel costs.
Easter visitors who seek out activities found the market particularly appealing. Small groups of golfers picked up their Worcestershire sauce and relishes from Sally Cole, and Trish Doherty’s delicious jams walked out the door.
If you missed out at POKI, Sally’s products can be purchased at the King Island Meat Providore and Trish’s jams and relishes are available from the CWA in Edward Street on Fridays.
Organiser and coordinator Mandy Potter said that it was a great market and stallholders agreed. The Easter POKI Market attracted both new and long-standing stallholders, significantly increasing the number of sellers and the variety of products available.
Home-grown and homemade were sought after by customers. The Garden’s Paul and Cynthia Daniel sold out of carrots and there were only a few tomatoes, chillies and garlic left by the end at 12.30pm.
Ange Dalton’s lemon went early. Last year the POKI organisers said they wanted to encourage even the smallest fruit and vegetable producer, bread maker, crafter, and hobbyist to sell at POKI.
“We know people want fresh produce and it would be great to expand the farmer’s market side of POKI,” Sharelle Hassing said last year.
“We know that not everyone wants to stand by a stall or there may not be enough product to fill a table. We can accommodate that,” she said.
The market included specialty stalls- metalworks, jewellery, winter woollies, scents, soaps and sewing among other handmade and artisan goods.
Shoppers eagerly ate Easter themed biscuits and cupcakes and Monica Harper provided sweet and savoury nibbles. POKI stalwarts Val Chivers and Erika Buhck both found that their plants moved very quickly.
Many market regulars expect Erika to have a stall and at each POKI do their soap stock up. “I’m running my stock down,” she said pointing at her empty trays, “as we plan to leave the island.”
The Easter POKI Market also held a fundraising raffle, with winners including Max Burley and Norma Russell winning the crayfish, and Tanya Cook and Chris Hill winning the meat trays.