Ephrata American Legion swap meet sees big turnout

EPHRATA - The parking lot at American Legion Post 28 in Ephrata was the spot to be on April 9. The parking lot was host to a vendor market and swap meet that drew visitors from all over the Columbia Basin.

“I was amazed at the amount of community support,” wrote Post Commander Eli Enokizono via email.

A wide array of items could be found at the many tables that filled the lot; from food to handcrafted decor to second-hand trinkets. More than 100 booths were set up to shop from.

Enokizono said some of the vendors were local but others came from as far as Coulee City, Wenatchee, Tri-cities and Wilson Creek.

One booth had hand-crafted metal yard decor. Nuts, nails, horseshoes and other metal scraps were bent, welded and painted to form flowers and animals.

Wendy Nichols, a resident of Wilson Creek, and Jerrel Thompson of Moses Lake both attended the event.

Nichols said they came out to the swap meet and vendor market because she had a friend who had heard about it and thought it would be fun to check out. She also knew one of the vendors participating in the event, she said.

“I have a wonderful friend that heard about it and that they were going to raise funds for a good purpose and so we said ‘Well, we gotta come out and support a good purpose,’” Nichols said.

Each vendor paid a $10 fee for a 10-foot-square space to set up and sell their items. The money raised from the booth fee and a food booth operated by the Legion went to fund American Legion Post 28 Legionnaires projects in the community.

Enokizono said they raised a total of $1215. All of the proceeds will go to improving the post’s RV park by upgrading the electrical from 30 to 50 amp hookups, new picnic tables and fixing the fence along the property line.

“There’s quite a few vendors here, we weren’t expecting it to be so large,” Nichols said of what surprised her.

Nichols said her grandson was able to find a bicycle that he was excited about at the event for a reasonable price.

“This is awesome,” Thompson said. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of these set up around Moses Lake and in other places, but I’ve never seen one anywhere, in any other town that I’ve been, that was as big as this.”

The wind didn’t seem to deter vendors or patrons from turning out to the meet but did result in a few attempted flyaways of items and stands.

Will Britt, co-owner of Southern Roots Bakery based out of Moses Lake said that he and his family came out as a vendor to the Legionnaires' event to kick off their season. He said they are a bakery based out of their home that operates in the summer mostly at farmers markets and similar events. They serve items such as cakes, pies, cookies and cobblers.

Enokizono said she had several vendors request another vendor market in the summer or fall and the post hopes to make that happen for the community.

“We really had a great turnout as it was advertised all through social media. The vendors withstood the chilly wind, but we did end with closing the event a little early as it began to rain,” wrote Enokizono.

The American Legion family hosts a number of different events and fundraisers throughout the year and noted this was their first time holding an event like this.

“Our mission is to support veterans, their families and our communities,” said Jane Montaney, spokesperson and member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 28.

Montaney said one upcoming fundraiser is the Auxiliary is hosting an Honor Flight Fundraiser on Armed Forces Day, May 19. More information on the fundraiser will be available in the coming weeks.

Later the same night as the swap meet and vendor market, the American Legion held a family movie night. Montaney said that they have done the movie nights in the past but there wasn’t a very big turnout in the past. She noted that she was told that this time, there was a fairly good turnout.

“It’s a good start, we are a family organization,” Montaney said.

For more information on the happenings at the Ephrata American Legion visit their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/artsemropost28. All Legionnaires are veterans themselves and the Auxiliary are all family members of veterans, according to the organization’s website.

Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.