Junkin' for joy: The Barn in Wellman to host holiday market Nov. 4 and 5

When Kate Merck got engaged three years ago, she looked out at the decrepit barn in her parent's backyard in Wellman and thought, that's where I want to get married.

'You could hardly see it,' said Merck's mother, Joni Yoder, of the barn.

It was covered in brush, it's doors hung off the hinges and it was full of '60 years worth of junk,' she explained.

'It was completely unusable for at least 20 years,' she said.

But Merck had a vision. She knew that under the dirt and dust covered junk, there was potential. After a year of cleaning and repairs, the barn was transformed into the perfect, picturesque venue Merck had dreamed for her rustic barn wedding.

After the wedding, though, Merck found herself with a collection of vintage items she no longer needed. A family friend and former business owner Bobbie Peiffer suggested they put on a 'glamorous garage sale' in the newly renovated barn.

They knew they're vintage, rustic items would be a hit, but never expected 3000 people to come from all over the state and even out of state to shop.

'We had no idea what we were in for,' Peiffer said.

Since then, Merck and Peiffer, together with their mothers, have hosted more than a dozen weddings and flea markets in the barn and more than 10,000 people 'like' the Barn on Facebook.

The venue is booked for weddings through the year, but organizers decided recently to quit the wedding business to focus on their three-a-year flea markets in the spring, fall and winter.

Weddings involve months of coordination, Peiffer explained, and although they 'love it,' it's a lot of pressure when already working full-time jobs.

'If we did this full-time, it would be totally different,' she said.

As wedding season winds down, though, organizers are beginning to plan for their next market. On Nov. 4 and 5 the barn will be filled with festive furniture, gifts and decor for their winter holiday market.

Normally, their flea markets feature around 70 vendors carefully selected for quality and style.

Sam Favre and Kelly Carlson, owners of 'Millie's,' a returning vendor, described their work as stuff people would consider 'garbage' turned into 'something people get in bidding wars over.'

'Everybody has such cool stuff, people can come and browse the whole day,' Peiffer said. 'It's amazing to see all the creativity and awesomeness.'

While organizers usually limit only upcycled and refurbished goods at the spring and fall markets, the winter market is a little bit different, with items new and old for sale only inside the heated barn — sales usually spill out into the yard, but to keep the holiday market contained in the warm barn, there will be no additional vendors outside the four main organizers.

Admission for the holiday market is $3, which covers operational and maintenance costs associated with hosting events, organizers said.

The barn's regular spring and fall markets are planned for June and September respectively, but the venue is not open year-round. Keep an eye on their Facebook page or website at www.thebarniowa.com for upcoming event details.

IF YOU GO

What: Holiday market at The Barn

Where: The Barn, 3271 V Ave., Wellman

When: 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 4 from and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 5

Admission: $3

Details: Shop for holiday gifts, decor and shabby chic furniture at the holiday market, one of three markets each year at the Barn. Find out more at www.thebarniowa.com