Piper Barn show runs through Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Brooke Schwab and Kelly Wemp spotted the candle just as they were leaving the Piper Barn. There it was, right by the door.

“It was meant to be,” Wemp said. That’s what happens at the Piper Barn show. The annual holiday bazaar continues Friday and Saturday; the barn – and it’s a real barn – is located at 1508 Rd. S NE.

The Thursday afternoon crowd was – well, actually the barn was full of customers. It’s the sixth annual Piper Barn show, and a trip has become an annual tradition for some visitors.

“It’s a good friend thing,” Wemp said.

Janice Goeden, Linda Bonneville and Laura Leedy drove over from Ephrata, to shop and have lunch. It’s the fourth year the friends have made the trip, “at least,” Goeden said. Lunch and dessert were pretty good, they said.

It was a perfect autumn day, a good day for a drive, Goeden said. Ekko Nash and Heather Gessele each had a basket, and Nash’s basket was full. “Ornaments and giant bells. And cheese balls,” she said.

They drove out to the barn because “Christmas,” Gessele said.

“Christmas and girls day,” Nash said.

And there were lots of Christmas ornaments and Christmas trinkets, handcrafted items of all kinds, from wooden bowls to tote bags upcycled from large dog food bags.

“I love Piper Barn,” said Tricia Freeman, who drove up from Basin City. She was a vendor at the original barn show back in the day, and comes back whenever her schedule permits.

“I like things you can’t find other places,” Janet Merkley said.

The Piper Barn show is named for Sheila Piper, who founded it in the late 1980s with other family members and operated it for about 15 years. Her daughter Julie Phipps, Julie’s sister and other family members revived it.

It’s still “very much a family affair,” said Julie’s daughter Rebecca Lefoil.

“Do you need a basket?” Lefoil asked a visitor as she entered the barn.

The visitor said no.

“You will,” Lefoil said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.