06/04/2022
And that’s a wrap on season one of Sol Markets! 🎉
I can’t believe we’re here already 😳 Around 2 years ago, this idea of a sustainable market came to me in the middle of the night 💡 I actually remember waking up like 5 or 6 times to scribble down notes for it on my phone 😂 Over the next 24 months, the idea melted and morphed and it wasn’t until moving to the Bay of Plenty that Sol Markets as you know it started to form 🌞 After that point, it all started to snowball really quickly 🌱🌍
I made contact with Tauranga Council in June of last year and we launched our first market in November. During those 6 months, there we SO many hours of research and hard work, reaching out to all these different stakeholders and companies, countless back and forth comms with council, and talking to local businesses and stallholders 📝
November rolled around really quickly and before I knew it we were launching - in torrential rain no less! ⛈⚡️From a really crappy weather forecast at our first market to the ever-changing Covid restrictions, our inaugural season has not been without it’s set of challenges and hardships. But we did it (and created something really special in the process) 🙏🏼
There are several important thank you’s to be said, people whom without their support, I never would have been able to do this (it really does take a village). To my older brother Sorel who initially believed in my idea and invested in it - thank you for always challenging me to dream bigger 💭🌍 To my friend Maria, thank you for always being there and helping me out at every single market, without question 💞 Jade, thank you for snapping some amazing pictures and just being an all round epic human 📸 Hannah, thanks for the incredible visuals our Sol Markets audience has come to know and love 🌤 Special mention to Ian for helping me construct our roadside sign - version 2.0 was much more of a success 😂 Lastly, to all my friends and family who have sent kind messages or showed up to a market, your support has meant the world 🙏🏼
I am so proud of what we have created here with Sol Markets - the community is truly a cut above the rest and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish next 🌱🌞
