Surf Cat

KPM will run its indoor market each Saturday through April 24 at Lakefront Dugout, 620 59th St. Each week there will be about 40 vendors at the new venue, said Laura Belsky, KPM treasurer.

On non-market days Lakefront Dugout operates as an indoor baseball and softball facility. Owned by Kenosha residents Alana and Nathan Mikolas, the business offers lessons, camps, and memberships to use its batting cages.

KPM board president Mike McTernan touted the site as “a big and airy space where we can offer fresh produce in the winter.”

He also commended Herzing University for the use of its parking lot directly across from Lakefront Dugout.

The market creatively utilized Lakefront Dugout’s space. Some of the ready-to-eat foods were outside in the parking area; vendor stalls lined the walls of the main room and there was a separate entryway for KPM2GO pickups.

The main room also featured natural lighting from several skylights with Astro Turf on the floor. Provisions were made for those requiring handicap accessibility.

Belsky said KMP had looked at five downtown spaces when considering the best one for its winter market.

“This space has the same (vendor stall) flow as the summer market,” she said. “What’s wonderful is that instead of just the board making decisions, we get vendor input as well.”

Curzio Caravati, market manager, noted that the space will work well for an upcoming Holiday Market which will be held on the weekends of Dec. 5 and 6 and Dec. 12 and 13.

As with KPM’s outdoor market held for the first time this summer, standard health and safety precautions were taken including distancing between vendor stalls and the requirement of masks to be worn throughout the market.

“The main concern was regarding (the current state mandate) that we only have 25% capacity, but we are monitoring patron flow and numbers and requiring masks,” Belsky said.

Vendors were enthusiastic about the market’s indoor digs.

“There is good space for vendors and customers and I feel safe,” said Anna Prange, owner of Serenity Soaps.

“The space is bigger and there is more light than at last year’s winter market space (at the Masonic Center),” observed Bozka Gono, co-owner of Little Europe, a maker of sausage and schnitzel.

Echoing these sentiments, market patron Heather Sowadski said, “It’s open, and (the layout) is easy.”

“With this COVID thing there’s no where to go,” said Heather’s mother, Lynn Sowadski. “”I’m just excited it’s here.”

In addition to the Saturday in-person market, KPM2GO, an online store offering products from 36 vendors, will hold order pickup times from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on market Saturdays.