MISSION — Vendors displayed their wares at the first Market at the Park on May 14 at the Txtáyma Food Truck Park.
Food, jewelry and self-care products were on display at the event’s first installment, which will continue every second and fourth Thursday through October.
Nixyáawii Community Financial Services (NCFS) Business Services Manager Jacob Wallis said the food truck park is supposed to be a small business ecosystem, where entrepreneurs and small business owners can find a place to create commerce or opportunities for retail.
“The hope is more exposure in general,” Wallis said. “The more opportunities we have for (the vendors), the better chance of them getting not only more money, but scaling their business so they feel comfortable with it and that it’s sustainable for them. We’re also giving them a safe space that they feel like they could plan around this.”
Txtáyma Food Truck Park Manager Adrienne Sampson said Txtáyma means “to barter” in Umatilla.
“We started this to help bring vendors to a place to sell their products, as well as bring fresh food to the community,” Sampson said. “We’ve been working really hard with the Parks and Recreation Department to try and put together a park that works together, where people can come and sell their products in a commerce area where everyone can get together and share their products.”
Wallis said the hope is to have anywhere from 10 to 12 vendors as the season progresses, though 15 would be ideal.
“We figured May would be a bit of a slow running just to get it going and get it established, and hoping through the summer that we’ll have a pretty good retail mix out here,” he said. “We want there to be artisans, creatives, handmade items, or mostly handmade.”
Wallis said vendor spaces are not exclusive to tribal members and that other community members can take part.
“We’re looking at ag producers, harvesters and makers in general, and ways we can incorporate not only our First Foods, but also to just have local ag producers in this and how we can start networking between them and our food trucks,” he said.
Cassandra Franklin, a vendor at the first Market at the Park, owns Old Meacham Creek Designs and sells Indigenous neo-traditional jewelry.
“It’s all been based off of designs, colors and patterns I saw growing up, with my grandmother in her regalia and in her sister’s regalia and just watching them create things,” Franklin said of her jewelry. “I can’t sew to save my life. I can’t do beadwork, but I’ve been able to match colors, textures and patterns in making jewelry and make each piece one of a kind.”
Franklin said she had never sold her jewelry, only given it out as gifts. When her brother Jacob encouraged her to set up as a vendor, she said it was the most stressful thing in her life, but also the most rewarding.
“I’ll try to be here as often as I can. I like to sell,” Franklin said. “I have people that come back to me, and it’s nice to have a place where you can set up locally.”
Wallis said any potential vendors who are curious about signing up should reach out.
“We do have a sign-up sheet here, but if you’re not sure, just go to the events, subscribe to our events page. We always have a lot of different events going on,” he said.
