‘Saints’ joins First Saturday

LIHUE — All Saints Episcopal Church will soon be joining the growing success of First Saturday Art Walk in Old Kapaa Town. The Kauai Planning Commission unanimously approved Tuesday a community market with 35 booths on the church’s property during the art walk.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for tourists, for residents and for the vendors to sort of experiment with this kind of idea of a farmers market at All Saints Church,” said attorney Laurel Loo, representing the church.

Commissioner Jan Kimura said First Saturday is a great idea that supports small businesses.

“It’s getting more and more popular as it goes on,” said Kimura, adding he drove past the event last Saturday and “it was packed solid.”

Dave Murray, of the church’s board, said the church set aside four booths for nonprofit organizations to fundraise or provide information to the community.

“We wanted it to be a market that encourages small entrepreneurs, small businesses,” he said.

The All Saints Saturday Market will offer a broad, inclusive and holistic approach to the concept of a community market, according to the application. It will provide the community with a venue offering a mix of produce, arts, crafts, clothing, specialty goods and food.

The market will also encourage locally made products, Murray said.

The event was approved for the first Saturday of each month, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

“I like the idea of combining with First Saturday (Art Walk),” Commissioner Hartwell Blake said.

The market will be on the church’s 4-acre property, at 4-1065 Kuhio Highway.

All Saints began as a mission in Kealia in 1924, and moved to its current location when the church and the parsonage were built a year later. The gym was built in 1929 and the memorial hall was built in 1939. The property also has a graveyard.

• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or lazambuja@thegardenisland.com