By Sean Eshelman
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
The signs are everywhere: Dogwoods are blooming, temperatures are warming and the sounds of laughter and play can be heard echoing throughout the shores of Lake Gregory.
With May Gray at play, it may not feel like it, but summer is coming. That means the return of the local favorite summer tradition: The Market at Lake Gregory.
Returning to Lake Gregory Regional Park for its fourth consecutive year, The Market begins this Friday, May 23 and will continue every week from 4 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 29.
The first three markets will operate at the North Shore parking lot and deck. Beginning on June 13, the Market will return to the South Shore pavillion, where it will remain through the end of the season.
Operator Sara Green said attendees can look forward to the same great features as last year: fresh food, craft vendors, locally sourced produce, beer and wine and, of course, performances from the area’s most talented bands.
“Our goal is for every market night to be the ‘summer weekend kickoff party’ to get folks in mood for all the amazing things going on around the mountain,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a guest or one of our vendors, everyone has a great time.”
Guests attending the market can look forward to a range of craft vendors, from clothing, to jewelry, apothecary items and spiritual gifts, toys, pottery and much more.
Food vendors well-known on the mountain such as Buddy’s BBQ, El Jefe’s Tacos & Burgers, Artisan Woodfired Pizza, Vancil Sazon and others return to satisfy larger appetites; vendors such as Oak Leaf Bakery, Middle East Pastries and Sub-Zero Treats offer small snacks if one is feeling peckish.
For adults (21+) looking to kick back, The Bearclaw Saloon will offer a range of beer and wine, including varieties from local favorite Lake Arrowhead Brewing.
Andrew MacNamera, owner of The Bearclaw, expressed his excitement at participating this year. “Friday nights at The Market at Lake Gregory is a part of Americana; we enjoy and look forward to it every week,” MacNamera said. “To meet locals and tourists, great bands, great vendors and the community at large has always been brilliant.”
MacNamera said guests can look forward to a brand new offering from Lake Arrowhead Brewing that will debut at this Friday’s kickoff market.
“We’re happy to be offering a new beer from Lake Arrowhead Brewing called… OK, no spoilers, you’ll just have to be there.”
Guests will be expected to provide ID with any alcoholic beverage purchase. For those just looking for a little pick-me-up, artisan coffee, lemonade, refreshers and other non-alcoholic beverage vendors and options will also be available.
In all, over 35 vendors will be set up at the market in any given week.
But while it’s the shopping, food and fun that brings people out to The Market at Lake Gregory, it’s the weekly performance that makes people linger. To date, over 30 local bands and many more musicians have graced the stages of the market, adding to the tradition of “Trees, Love and Music.”
“Our bands are either San Bernardino Mountain locals or have some sort of connection to the area,” Green said, “adding that local connection, that pride for our mountains.”
This season begins with local band Viper & The Deckhands, a three-piece that covers classic, grunge and alternative rock.
The season will include other local bands such as Little Bear Valley Blues, The Middle-Aged Dad Bods, Plaid to the Bone, The Rare Gems, Phil Billies and many more. Performances begin an hour after the market opens, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Green said the growth and success of the market is thanks to the community’s desire for and support of wholesome community events that bring everyone together. The outpouring of support has extended to local businesses in and around the mountain as well. Mountains Community Hospital of Lake Arrowhead, Spreen Subaru of San Bernardino, Groundwerks Plumbing of Rancho Cucamonga and Digital Nomad of Crestline have all chipped in to sponsor the market.
Arguably, the biggest supporter of all is the Lake Gregory Company, the organization in charge of operating and maintaining Lake Gregory Regional Park, where the market operates. Green said Crestline is blessed to have a community-minded organization such as the Lake Gregory Company support the market and allow folks to get together in the best way possible every week.
“It takes a lot of work and close coordination, but our partnership with Lake Gregory [Company] continues to pay back dividends in terms of value to the community.”
Green wears many hats in addition to market operator, one of which is owner of Wears The Mountain – an apparel company based in Crestline that highlights the San Bernardino Mountains and outdoor life as a whole. She started the company in 2020, selling merchandise at other local farmers markets in Running Springs and Twin Peaks, as well as various yearly events such as Jamboree Days and the Pinecone Festival.
Running a market was not something Green anticipated, but she’s since leaned into the role.
“At the time, we were just looking for a good venue to sell our wares,” she said, noting that the market was formerly run by another operator out of Chino. When the prior contract expired, Green reached out to the Lake Gregory Company and was granted the opportunity to take it over.
Green said the event sets itself apart from other farmers markets in that it focuses on fun.
“But we’re not competing with any of the other markets and, in fact, we collaborate and share ideas often,” Green stated.
“We’re a collection of neighborhoods stretched over a wide area,” she said, adding that every market has its niche, and everyone on the mountain needs more access to fresh food.
“If you need lettuce for dinner on a Thursday, you go to Twin Peaks; maybe you’re making Sunday dinner, so you go hit up the Running Springs market on Saturday,” she continued. “The markets don’t compete; they complement each other.”
Four years on, The Market at Lake Gregory continues to grow. And while vendors, guests and bands will come and go, three things will always remain as long as the market is in operation: Trees, Love and Music.
Operator of The Market at Lake Gregory, Sara Green, said the market will operate 15 consecutive weeks, with an option to extend through the end of September. “September can be tricky,” she said. “Weather has a habit of scaring guests and vendors away,” referring to the San Bernardino Mountains’ sometimes unpredictable weather during late-Summer.
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