The GnomeMade Market is an arts and craft event that is spread across public shops, homes and historic locations across New Ulm. 

Most of the locations were open for business earlier Friday morning and will open again Saturday. Each year the GnomeMade Market coincides with the first weekend of deer hunting. While some hunt deer, others hunt for bargains.

The Lind House on Center Street hosted 13 artisan vendors, each selling different items to avoid overlap. This year was Deb Raschke’s fourth year selling at the Lind House. She specialized in different styles of handmade purses and quilts. 

“I just sold a big Christmas  quilt, so I am happy,” Raschke said. The quilt served as a gift from a mom to her adult daughter. Raschke said the mom let her daughter pick out any one item she wanted and she chose a Christmas quilt.

A collection of handmade gnomes sits near the entrance of the Lind House, one of the 20 locations on this year’s GnomeMade Market.

“It is fun when you can see an item you made will go to a good home,” Raschke said. 

Though the Lind House saw many visitors Friday, Raschke anticipated Saturday would be busier as fewer people worked.

A few doors down from the Lind House, Christa Kalk and Alisha Wachholz sold crafts at Holiday Haus Air B&B at 16 N. State Street. Kalk said she has been participating in the GnomeMade Market for 11 of the 40 years. 

“I am always surprised how many people are out earlier on the first day,” Kalk said. The GnomeMade Market runs through Sunday at some locations, but there is a sizable group of shoppers who come out on the first day.

Kalk works with Minnesota Makers Local Artisan Goods stores in Minneapolis, Robbinsdale and Excelsior. During the GnomeMade Market, she brings products down from the shop, giving Twin Cities artisans a chance to sell items.

Lori Zollner (center) stands with her aunts Retta Gersach (left) and Laurie Moldan (right) at the Sugar Shanty. The Sugary Shanty is the second stop on the GnomeMade Market map. Zollner has participated in the GnomeMade Market the last four years. This year her aunts agreed to assist as helper gnomes.

This year, the most popular item was an old-fashioned hand crank pepper mill. Kalk said it was a good gift for guys who like gadgets. 

A special cheese cutting board was also selling well. Kalk said they sold out of cheese boards last year, so she brought more this time.

Kalk said part of the fun attending the GnomeMade Market year after year is seeing repeat customers. Many of the customers are from out of town and are visiting for a weekend of shopping.

While most of the shoppers were seeking craft goods, baked goods were also popular. Turner Hall is a popular stopping spot each year for shoppers looking to satisfy their sweet tooth. The Turner Ladies host a bake sale during the GnomeMade Market and sometimes sell out earlier.

“We are very busy,” said Turner Lady Nancy Mueller. “People are coming here for the smear kuchen.”

Deb Raschke shows off one of her Grinch themed quilts at the Lind House. Raschke has been selling quilts and purses as part of the GnomeMade Market for the last four years. She said this years market was already off to a strong start after she was able to sell one of her quilts.

Smear kuchen is sometimes described as German coffee cake. Mueller said the base is made of bread dough and is filled with a mixture of eggs, cottage cheese, sugar, cooked prunes with butter and cinnamon on top. 

Mueller said they started Friday morning with 84 smear kuchen. By 1 p.m., they sold 50 of the pastries. Mueller was not certain if they would have any left by Saturday.

On the south side of Highland Avenue, the Sugar Shanty was also indulging shoppers’ love of food. 

The Sugar Shanty is known for producing maple syrup and owner Lori Zollner said it remained their top seller, but this year one of the most popular items were simmer pots.

Simmer pots are sometimes called stovetop potpourri. The contents of a simmer pot are poured into a boiling pot, which is then set to a low simmer. The simmer pot will fill a home with a strong aroma. 

Nancy Mueller, a member of the Turner Ladies, holds up a smear kuchen that is for sale at Turner Hall during the GnomeMade Market. Mueller said the smear kuchen were selling fast. The Turner Ladies made 84 smear kuchen for the market and 50 were sold with the first five hours.

Zollner said the simmer pots were new this year and came from Ribizli Seep Company run by Monika Torzewski. Based on their popularity, Zollner promised to bring them back next year as well. 

One of the new locations on the GnomeMade map was State Street Theater Company (SSTC). The stage held 15 different vendors selling everything from print t-shirts and books, crochet plushies and canned pickles.

SSTC executive director Lori Jewell said the vendors were busy all morning. Several shoppers were brought in by door prizes which included free vendor gifts and play tickets.

Jewell said the vendor sales would continue at SSTC until noon Saturday. At 7 p.m. the Ladies of the 80s would take the stage with the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun Show.”

The show will feature one-hit wonders and arena rock classics. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.

Darra Leuftman of Farmington shows off a gnome she recently purchased at the Lind House during the GnomeMade Market sale. The second year in a row Lefutman has attended the GnomeMade Market, but the first buying a gnome.

For more information on the GnomeMade Market visit gnomemademarket.com.

Christa Kalk’s “Little Brick Haus” is the first stop on the GnomeMade Market tour. She said the top sellers this year were special cheese cutting board and old-fashion pepper mills. She said they made great gifts for guys who like gadgets.