Local Market is farmers’ markets’ winter counterpart
Although its debut was earlier this month, the grand opening for The Local Market CdA will be next Saturday. Located in the hallways of The Coeur d’Alene Plaza Shops at 210 Sherman Ave., the market is an extension of the summertime Kootenai County and downtown farmers’ markets.
Twenty to 25 vendors sell items, from meats and groceries to arts and crafts. The grand opening also will include live music, activities for children through Art on the Edge, and possibly Santa Claus.
“This market provides locals and guests with fresh, seasonal goods all year long,” said coordinator Anissa Duwaik. “The market is a place for locals to develop their trade, finding how they can be part of a self-sustaining community. They can find their niche with a very low overhead.”
Vendor fee is $20, and admission is free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call 659-4213 or check www.thelocalmarketcda.com.
Escape Outdoors opens Friday
Famous-brand outdoor apparel and accessories are the mainstay of Escape Outdoors, which opens Friday at 2028 Main St. in Riverstone. Brands include The North Face, Helly Hansen, Marmot, and Smith & Oakley. Spring arrivals will include Prana, Lole, Reef, Mountain Hardware and Patagonia.
The grand opening is 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday on the south side of Main Street just west of Regal Cinemas. Regular hours will compare to other Riverstone businesses. Owners Katherine De Stephano and Amy Gelhausen have about 10 employees at the 1,800-square-foot shop. Phone 664-6602.
Country Porch reopens with bargains
Country Porch owners Mitch and Machelle Wright discovered in 2005 that their business was so successful they had to close the store. Really.
They were selling such a huge inventory of the home and garden décor items online and in catalogs that they didn’t have time to run the store at 2112 N. Government Way. They began working solely out of their Schreiber Way warehouse and rented the 1890 renovated farmhouse to an antique dealer.
That worked until this summer, when the antique dealer left and the Wrights found themselves making payments on an empty building.
So they have once again filled it with their country-style items, including kitchenware, décor, quilts, rugs, curtains, lamps and furniture. This time, however, the emphasis is as an outlet store with many of the items sold as closeouts and at bargain prices. Customers can shop in a store for physical and online items.
The Wrights came from Edmonds, Wash., to North Idaho in 1996 after they discovered this area while on a trip. They renovated the house and had The Country Porch there from 1996 to 2005. They now have 12 employees between the house and the warehouse. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Phone 664-9182 or check www.countryporch.com.
Ancient Answers opens next week
Custom jewelry, minerals, crystals and natural healing seminars are the emphasis of Ancient Answers, which will celebrate its grand opening Thanksgiving weekend. Moving from its Attic Treasures location in Wallace, the new store is at 205 E. Seltice Way, across from Les Schwab in Post Falls.
Veteran gemologists and jewelry designers, owners Gary Waters and Diana Houston offer gold, diamonds, semi-precious stones and jewelry with “each piece unique to express yourself,” she said. They also will have healing-knowledge seminars and jewelry-making classes.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone 773-8718. Contact attic_treasures_jewelry@yahoo.com.
Not much room for tidbits
•It’s good the CdA City Council will allow booze in the new Parkside Condo businesses. It’s probably the only way a restaurant would consider locating there.
•This town still needs to add some needed sidewalks, especially on the north side of Lunceford Avenue leading to the new city park. Kids need a safe way to get there. Perhaps the sidewalks should have come first.