Waterville Days returns as Farm & Craft Market opens 6th season
The Waterville Farm & Craft Market will launch its sixth season Saturday, bringing local vendors, live music and community gatherings back to Pioneer Park while helping mark the return of Waterville Days for the first time since 2019.
The volunteer-run Waterville Main Street Association will host the markets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on three Saturdays: July 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 12.
The markets, staffed entirely by volunteers, have become a summertime tradition since launching in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic paused Waterville Days.
"We're all volunteers," market manager Katie Oberweiser said. "I'm the manager, so I manage the vendors and the entertainment as best as I can, and all of that - we're all volunteers."
This year's opening market coincides with the return of Waterville Days, the community celebration that was last held in 2019. Festivities on July 11 include the Waterville Days Parade at 9 a.m., the annual Waterville Rollers Car Show and the Farm and Craft Market.
Oberweiser said Waterville Days gradually gave way to the Farm & Craft market after longtime organizers found the event increasingly difficult to sustain.
"It wasn't anything vindictive, like, 'Let's take this festivity away,'" she said. "It was more or less like, 'We need volunteers. We need people to come help. And if people can't step up, then it can't happen.'"
The markets became a way to continue bringing residents together while keeping the volunteer workload manageable. In recent months, community members Brenda Peterson, Ylse Engler and Charlie Engler formed a new Waterville Days committee, making this year's revival possible.
For Oberweiser, the return represents more than another event on the calendar.
"When it comes to a small town, these events are what bring our community together, but they also entice others to come see our small town," she said. "Instead of having to drive out of town, we have something happening here that we can participate in. You see each other, hang out in the park, socialize together. I think that is the heart of the community - it keeps us all connected."
With a population of about 1,200, Waterville depends on volunteers to keep community traditions alive, she said.
"It just takes so many people," Oberweiser said. "Maybe you can only give me an hour of your time on that Saturday, but that's wonderful. That little bit helps."
She hopes those efforts inspire the next generation. Her husband volunteers with the local fire department, and their son has grown up watching both parents volunteer in the community.
"We want our kids to remember these things," she said. "People who grew up here remember Waterville Days, and the kids haven't experienced that. Bringing that back to our kids is important. Those memories will be there for that generation, and then they're the ones who are going to take over for us, hopefully."
This year's parade also will honor longtime residents John and Alice Ruud as grand marshals. John, 97, and Alice, 96, both have deep family roots in the Waterville area. The Ruud family was among the region's early homesteaders.
The July market is expected to feature more than 50 vendors selling locally grown produce, handmade goods, food and other products, along with live entertainment and family activities.
Additional events include the "Summer Fun for ALL" market on Aug. 8 and a harvest festival and chili cook-off Sept. 12.
The markets are free and open to the public. More information about the markets, Waterville Days and vendor registration is available at historicwatervillewa.org.
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 2:09 AM.