Fresh flowers line the walkways, the gentle strum of a guitar melody drifts along the breeze as someone plays live, and the delicious aroma of hot food drifts past open doors that lead deeper into the heart of the market. For years, local farmers, artisans, and makers in Spokane yearned for a place of their own, a permanent home. Now, they finally have it at The Scale House Market. Located just a short drive from downtown, this stunning, innovative community space transforms a historic landmark building into the region’s very first permanent, year-round farmers market that now keeps the bounty of Spokane in season all year long!
Spokane’s First Year-Round Farmers Market
Before The Scale House Market opened its doors just over a year ago, winter in Spokane meant saying goodbye to the steady rhythm of market weekends, as the cold forced the bustling energy of the artisan community into hibernation. The old scale house building on the Spokane Conservation District’s (SCD) Quarry Campus knew that all too well. Once the industrial workhorse of the Spokane Valley, it had spent years saddled with silence, waiting for a new purpose.
Then, in 2017, the SCD purchased the site and started steering it in a new direction, working for 18 months with the community to craft a 10-year master plan that reimagined what the campus could be. By 2019, that vision started taking shape when the first renovated building opened with new SCD offices and a nature-based preschool. The Aspen Partnership Building followed soon after, built to support collaboration around sustainability and land stewardship.
Scale House Market has been the latest addition to the site as it continues with its ongoing transformation, which brought local produce, a teaching kitchen, and a massive roster of vendors to the property. By the time the market settled into its new home, the building was already operating with a steady, daily momentum that proved Spokane was hungry for a year-round gathering place.
Suffice to say, The Scale House Market’s first year of operation was nothing short of a success, earning the title of both Best Farmers Market and Best New Business in The Inlander’s 2026 Best of Readers Poll. What started with roughly 50 vendors at its grand opening has already ballooned to over 125 local farms, food makers, bakers, brewers, and artisans that now operate out of the market’s indoor mercantile and seasonal outdoor space. In its first 10 months alone, it generated over $1.5 million in revenue while supporting at least 160 local businesses, representing neighbors doing real work and creating connections with the people who buy what they grow and make.
The Physical Space: Where Function Meets Community
The Scale House Market’s renovated facility is thoughtfully designed to serve multiple purposes. The indoor mercantile operates year-round, open Wednesday through Sunday with hours that vary seasonally. The stunning structure houses produce, baked goods, meats, dairy, artisan goods, and everything in between. Then, when the weather warms, the seasonal outdoor market takes over from May through October, transforming the space into an open-air celebration.
What really sets this place apart is what happens beyond the transaction. A commercial kitchen processes goods and supports educational events. The Washington Small Business Development Center maintains an on-site partnership, offering vendors access to mentorship, advising, and resources designed to support sustainable growth. Kids in the Kitchen classes teach practical food skills while connecting the next generation to where their food comes from. Local chefs use the space to test ideas and collaborate outside the daily grind of restaurant work. It’s an entire ecosystem designed to support local food culture from every angle.
Direct Connections With Vendors Who Know Your Name
For the multi-generational farmers and livestock producers of the Inland Northwest, the market offers a direct line to consumers that bypasses the complex, often opaque corporate supply chain. Instead of relying on nameless distributors, shoppers have the rare chance to buy meat from someone they can have a conversation with.
Randy Johnson of Johnson Homestead understands the power of that connection better than most. Operating from a designated cooler space at the market, Randy brings an uncompromised level of quality to Spokane’s carnivores. His beef and pork come free from additives, antibiotics, and hormones. Find quality meat from someone who oversees every step of the process personally.
When asked what he appreciates most about The Scale House Market, Randy’s enthusiasm was immediate. “It’s as local as it gets,” he explained, his voice reflecting the quiet wisdom of someone deeply committed to his craft. “Being here gives me the opportunity to meet customers face-to-face, find out what they’re looking for, and make sure we’re meeting their needs directly.”
Inside The Scale House Market’s Commercial Kitchen
Beyond providing retail space, the facility’s infrastructure is intentionally designed to scale up regional micro-businesses. At the center of this effort is the on-site commercial kitchen, which serves as a launchpad for local entrepreneurs to expand their operations. For Megan Klusman, owner and operator of House on a Hill Bakery, this kitchen is where simple ingredients meet extraordinary flavors.
Known for her constant experimentation with new recipes and flavor combinations, Klusman crafts an ever-evolving lineup of homemade treats, from artisanal sourdough to delicate macarons and tiramisu. She represents the exact entrepreneurial trajectory the campus was built to foster, being one of the first cottage-licensed bakers to successfully transition to a formal Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) permitted food processor through the market’s on-site commercial kitchen.
Before Scale House, she bounced between seasonal markets and pop-up events, grateful for the opportunities but never rooted.
“I used to go wherever the events took me,” she shares. “Now that the Scale House has opened, I have a permanent home. Somewhere I can plan, experiment, and actually grow.”
Scale House Market Creates Connection with Spokane Creators
As you move deeper into the mercantile, the market’s creative side unveils — first as color, then as conversation, and finally as connection as you meet the artists themselves. Greeting patrons with a smile, Amy Jennings of Spokaloo moves easily through the crowd, her illustrated maps of Spokane sparking stories from anyone who stops to admire her creations.
“I’ve mapped every neighborhood in Spokane,” she says proudly. “I love helping people feel connected to the places they love through my artwork.”
A few steps away, Angela Schnabel of Aphantastic Designs and Odell Mae Custom Paints & Embroidery Studio showcases a vibrant spread of custom artwork, totes, and stickers. A well-established creator whose vibrant stickers and totes are sold throughout Spokane’s premier gift shops, Schnabel looks at the market as a vital creative anchor.
“This place is an incredible opportunity for vendors,” Schnabel says. “It gives us visibility, support, and a community that genuinely wants us to succeed.”
Perhaps one of the most heartwarming aspects of The Scale House Market is witnessing how it reaches beyond traditional vendors into the next generation of entrepreneurs. Nearby, two young entrepreneurs share their kid-designed products with infectious excitement at a table all their own, E&Z Creative. The little girl takes her role seriously, thoroughly showing off her impressive collection and asking customers thoughtful questions about their preferences. These young entrepreneurs are learning invaluable lessons about customer service, product design, and business ownership while contributing something genuine to the community.
Community Coming Together at The Scale House Market
The Scale House Market operates on a simple principle — this is a space where community comes first. Whether you’re a first-time visitor, a loyal regular, a farmer looking for a home for your products, or someone who wants to show up and be part of something good, there is a place for you here. Standing inside this historic structure, you can feel the intention behind every square foot. It is a living, breathing community crossroads where growers, artisans, families, and neighbors come together, season after season.
Rain or shine, winter or summer, the Scale House Market is open. Bring a bag, bring the kids, bring your neighbor, and experience Spokane’s bounty in full bloom all year long.
