Stone Pillar Farmstead’s first pop-up market a blooming success

The Klooster sisters, Aria, eight, and Rylee, six, pose for mom Tonile Klooster to take a photo at the sunflower stand. Contributed photo

By Diane Danen

The Stone Pillar Farmstead held its first every Pop-Up Market on Wednesday, July 29, from 4:30-8:30 p.m., bringing families and shoppers from across the Perth and Waterloo regions together for an evening of local shopping, farm experiences and community connection.

Held at the Lapointe family farm, just east of Sebastapol, the event attracted a steady stream of visitors from Stratford, Shakespeare, New Hamburg, Plattsville and Tavistock.

"We didn't know what to expect for our first market, but the turnout was amazing," said Mackenzie Lapointe. "The vendors were all asking when the next pop-up market would be."

The idea for the event came together when friend Aleigha Ehgoetz suggested hosting a pop-up market. Since the farm's sunflowers were in bloom, Lapointe saw it as the perfect opportunity to invite people to enjoy the property while supporting local businesses.

Ten vendors participated, showcasing a variety of locally made products. Vendors included The Creative Touch of Stratford with apparel and accessories, The Wandering Soul of Stratford featuring gemstone jewellery, Harmony Rooted of Harrington with baked goods and preserves, Daisy Bee Naturals of Shakespeare offering locally produced flavoured honey, Koert’s Corner Roadside Stand and Puddle & Play Co.

Other vendors included Courtney Zoeller featuring her handmade clothing alongside Henrik of Fabled Millwork Inc., Stone House Embroidery of Embro with custom embroidered items, Stone Pillar Farmstead selling farm-fresh eggs and sunflowers, and The Sideyard mobile café from Shakespeare.

Visitors had an opportunity to discover unique products, meet the makers and place orders for custom items.

Families spent time exploring the farm, where children played in a backyard forest play area, visited the ducks and chickens, climbed aboard an antique tractor for photos and created crafts at kid-sized picnic tables. Visitors also wandered through the sunflower patch, taking photographs and cutting their own bouquets to bring home.

Stone Pillar Farmstead began as a roadside farm stand in 2024, offering fresh eggs, firewood, pumpkins, sweet corn and flowers. The name was inspired by the stone pillar that stands at the entrance to the property.

Originally, two stone pillars stood on either side of the driveway. One pillar was removed in 2020 to allow larger farm equipment to access the property, but the remaining pillar continues to serve as a reminder of the farm’s history.

Stone Pillar Farmstead has a long history as a family farm. Travis and Mackenzie Lapointe moved to the property in 2019 and today live there with their three sons, Jameson, Brooks and Teddy. Before becoming home to the Lapointe family, the farm was owned by Bernice (Yausie) and Donald Ramseyer, who raised their three sons on the farm.

The Ramseyers purchased the farm in 1967 from Bernice’s family, allowing the century farm to remain part of the Yausie family legacy for 158 years.

Neighbours remember Mrs. Ramseyer repainting the white lines on the stone pillars each spring, helping preserve their distinctive appearance and maintain an important piece of the farm’s history.

Mackenzie Lapointe hopes to make community events a regular part of life at Stone Pillar Farmstead. Plans include additional seasonal markets, a possible Christmas market and opening the property to photographers looking for a picturesque rural setting for photo sessions.

"Our goal was to create a fun atmosphere where families could enjoy the farm while supporting small local businesses," said Lapointe. "After seeing how much everyone enjoyed it, we're definitely looking forward to hosting more events in the future."

Stone Pillar Farmstead is located at 1946 Perth Line 29, Perth East, Tavistock. Visit www.instagram.com/stonepillar_farmstead/ for more information.