Woodland's Holiday Bazaar Season Starts Saturday, and Its Oldest Market Is Paying to Restore a Davidson Avenue Hall

Woodland's handmade-gift season runs on three Saturdays this year: November 7, November 21 and December 12. Each one happens in a different part of town, and several of the stops raise money for something local. The most direct link between your gift spending and the town is at the oldest event. On November 21, Woodland Grange #178 holds its 45th annual Snowflake Bazaar, and the Grange says all of the proceeds go to renovating its hall on Davidson Avenue.

That hall used to be a hotel. In the 1950s the Grange bought it and turned it into a meeting place, and today it's one of the downtown buildings a group of volunteers wants to bring back to full use. The season opens with a busy Saturday on Goerig Street, peaks at the high school, and ends with a bonfire on the Columbia.

The Building Behind the Biggest Bazaar

Woodland Grange #178 is at 404 Davidson Avenue, and the Washington State Grange directory lists its meetings on the second Thursday of each month. According to the Grange's building history, the group first met in a building across the street. It later bought the Colvin Hotel and converted it into the Woodland Grange Hall in 1955. The Grange calls it "the old-lady building," says it needs "a little tender loving care," and describes the restoration as part of Woodland's downtown revitalization. It also says more volunteers are always welcome.

The hall is already in regular use. The Grange's rental page lists meetings, trainings, weddings, reunions, birthday parties, memorials and community gatherings. Renters can book the Executive Room, the Pine Room, or the whole hall including the upstairs. The building also hosts a recurring Farm & Garden Community Market.

The rental page also shows where the building falls short. Two limits stand out:

• The kitchen. The hall has a large kitchen for food prep, but fire marshal rules allow only limited cooking in the historic building until a commercial kitchen is installed.
• The upstairs. A ramp at the back makes the downstairs accessible, but the upstairs isn't wheelchair accessible.

The Grange describes the building as 118 years old. Bazaar proceeds go into the fund for renovating it.

November 21 at the High School Commons

The bazaar itself is large. The Grange's event page lists up to 70 tables of local crafters in the Woodland High School Commons at 1500 Dike Access Road, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free parking and free admission. The Grange's own description is plain:

"More than a Bazaar – It's a Woodland Tradition!"

The Woodland Weekender listing calls it Woodland's oldest and largest bazaar.

On the same Saturday, St. Philip Parish Hall at 430 Bozarth Street hosts the Holiday Boutique Craft Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It offers handicrafts, baked goods, raffle items, Heavenly Fudge, and Tommy Tsunami's white chicken chili. Both events open at 9 a.m., so you can visit both, and the parish hall closes an hour before the Commons does. If you start at St. Philip for chili and fudge and end at the high school, you won't feel rushed at either one.

The next morning, Sunday, November 22, Lewis River Golf holds its Turkey & Tees Scramble. Registration opens at 8 a.m. and play starts with a 9 a.m. shotgun. It's a four-player scramble at $80 per player, with $20 off for pass holders.

Before That: November 7 on Goerig Street

The season opens two weeks earlier, and this Saturday's events run in a different order. Here is the first Saturday next to the other two:

Rose & Thorn bills its Christmas at the Boutique as an annual kickoff to the season, with more than 50 local vendors and complimentary goodies. The Woodland Wonderland Market is the first of the season's fundraisers. Its raffle prizes, bake sales and vendor tables support the Woodland Youth Sports Trap Team. The Blue Orchid Vendor Market runs the longest that day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with local artisans, food and raffle baskets.

If you miss the first Saturday, Rose & Thorn's "Wednesday in Woodland" falls on November 11. The boutique stays open until 8 p.m., and almost everything in the store is 20% off from 4 to 8 p.m. The late night happens on the second Wednesday of every month. Friday Night Cruising also continues in old town every Friday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. through November.

December 12 Is the Only Stop That Needs a Ticket

The season ends on the river, and this is the one stop where waiting can cost you a spot. The Port of Woodland's Riverfront Bazaar and Bonfire is on Saturday, December 12, at Columbia Riverfront RV Park, 1881 Dike Road. The bazaar and bonfire start at 4 p.m., and the Annual Christmas Ship Parade follows at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but you need a free ticket because space and parking at the park are limited. The Port reports that nearly 100 tickets were claimed on the first day.

If you plan to go:

1. Reserve free tickets through the Port's CampLife store.
2. Dress for the weather. The event is outdoors and happens rain or shine.
3. Expect craft vendors, food and warm drinks, and a riverside bonfire.
4. Crafters who sold at the November bazaars can also apply for a booth here by December 9. Booths cost $40 for craft and sales vendors and $75 for food and beverage vendors.

The ships come from across the river. The Christmas Ships Parade is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its history dates the parade to 1954. On December 12, the combined fleet gathers at the St. Helens City Docks at 6 p.m. and parades in front of the docks for about 30 minutes. It then heads downriver to Columbia City and, weather and river conditions permitting, crosses to the Washington side near Woodland before returning to St. Helens. The fleet is out for about two hours. The parade's own schedule lists Columbia Riverfront RV Park as an outdoor viewing spot and notes that it requires a reservation. The Port's 7 p.m. time fits that route, since the ships reach this shore after their stops in Oregon. The crossing still depends on the river that night.

The City of Woodland also lists Winterfest among its December events. The city's lodging-tax funding application from April described it with a Christmas tree lighting at Hoffman Plaza and Santa and Mrs. Claus arriving by firetruck to walk Candy Cane Lane. It also listed cocoa, local vendors, and performances by the high school band and chorus.

Where the Season Ends Up on Davidson Avenue

After December 12 the vendor tables are packed away, and the Grange Hall at 404 Davidson Avenue is still standing, now with a little more in its renovation fund. The volunteers restoring it are working on a former hotel the Grange has used since 1955, and they want to install a commercial kitchen that would allow a full meal to be cooked inside. If you'd like to help beyond buying gifts, the Grange accepts vendor inquiries for the bazaar at [email protected], and its history page welcomes volunteers.

The Grange Hall is just up Davidson Avenue from our office at Woodland Real Estate. Many of us have watched these older downtown buildings change hands and change uses over the years. If you're curious about the history of a building in old town, or what it takes to bring an older building back into use, stop by and ask. Let's Connect.