Santa will be at the Farmer’s Market Dec. 21
Santa will visit on Dec. 21
By Jill Alexander
The Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market and Family Festival is the place for those looking for something fun to do each week, whether it’s grabbing a bite, listening to a DJ spin tunes, or checking out arts and crafts booths.
The market is open each Thursday from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 10045 Carroll Canyon Road.
The Farmer’s Market will host its annual special Christmas event on Dec. 21 – complete with Santa stopping by from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Bring the kids and take photos for the holidays, peruse the many booths, have dinner, have a drink at Newtopia Cyder, have a cup of coffee at Hunters of Hendrix, or just hobnob with fellow Scripps Ranch neighbors.
“This is the first time Santa has put us on his schedule to visit and he’ll have an entire canopy with a backdrop. Adults and kids can take as many photos as they like with Santa free of charge, so just bring your camera or iPhone,” said market manager Beverly Cassity. “We will also be putting up lanterns on our tables, with lanterns in the middle of the market so people can eat in comfort. We say, ‘don’t let the chilly weather stop you, and eat with us.’”
Additionally, there will be a jump slide lit up on the front lawn of Newtopia Cyder, a caricature artist, a DJ playing holiday music, a man selling balloons that light up, and bubble blowers shooting what looks like snow, Cassity said.
There’s always plenty to do and see for everyone and every age at the market, she added.
“For 17 years, the market was located on the north side of Scripps Ranch, but moved about 2½ years ago after COVID orders were lifted,” Cassity said. “We are now called the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market and Family Festival. We have food vendors and chefs from around the world. These are people who lost their jobs after COVID-19 and that have been with me since then.”
Cassity said for the holidays there isn’t a better place to enjoy the camaraderie of friends and family than the market.
“You can also pick up last-minute gifts for those on your holiday list that you might have forgotten about,” she said. “Bring the kids and let them see what community is all about.”
In the future, Cassity hopes to branch out and do more advertising, propose special school fundraisers and attract other civic organizations to the market.
“We would love to host a Scripps Ranch civics night – we have lots of ideas on the table and doing whatever we can to bring back all the wonderful shoppers we had when we started our market that we’ve lost due to the time change and the move,” she said.
The goal is to “get back our regular shoppers because we need to get that shopper base back so I can bring in more farmers. I can’t do that if the ones that we have now aren’t supported,” Cassity said.
Cassity said the market would never have re-opened without the help of the owners of Newtopia Cyder.
“The goal was to get the Scripps Ranch residents out of their homes to enjoy the community, the outdoors and family and friends again,” she said. “That was the whole intention. It happened, and it worked.”
Cassity invites everyone to stop by on Thursdays and especially on Dec. 21 for the annual holiday festival.
“I want parents to bring their kids to talk to chefs, artisans and farmers, and have their kids ask questions,” she said. “When they ask, they will remember all they learned when they shopped with their parents at the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market, and they will carry on traditions long after … and share them with their families.”