This year, Wyoming's holiday season begins at Godwin Mercado, 301 36th St. SW. The Sunday farmers market there wrapped up its first season on Oct. 25. Four city events are on the calendar between now and Dec. 19, and a monthly winter market follows in January.
The building has had a year to prove itself as a summer market. Winter tests the other promise the city made when it opened the hall, that this would be a place to gather all year. The city's own site says the facility "will be open year round for reservations and other community events." The calendar between now and Dec. 19 shows what that looks like.
The calendar from here to the winter market
These are the dated events on the Godwin Mercado calendar as of publication, in order:
- Harvest Market, Sunday, Nov. 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event listing promises local makers, small businesses, handmade goods and prepared food. It is still recruiting vendors through a Wyoming Parks and Recreation application.
- Wyoming Winter Wonderland, Friday, Dec. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. The 2026 listing gives the date and time and tags it as a Christmas and winter event.
- Holiday Artisans Market, Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Handmade holiday gifts, the morning after Winter Wonderland.
- Pancake Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 19, 9 to 11 a.m. Tickets are $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. Registration is required for everyone older than one.
- Winter farmers markets, last Tuesday of each month, 4 to 8 p.m. The 2027 dates are Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 30 and April 27.
The first weekend of December carries the most. A Friday night event and a Saturday market back to back follow the pattern the city used last year, when Winter Wonderland first came to this building.
How the holiday kickoff got to 36th Street
For years the city's December event was Wrap Up Wyoming. In 2024 it was held on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Wyoming Senior Center. WKTV Journal described it as the Parks and Recreation Department's second annual edition, with live reindeer, music, cookie decorating, crafts and a warm-clothing drive for local schools.
That event had a planned move from the start. When WKTV toured the Mercado before it opened, the outlet reported that "the City's annual winter event, Wrap Up Wyoming, will also take place at the Godwin Mercado," along with a fall festival and a holiday market that were already in planning. The hall held its community ribbon-cutting on Aug. 16, 2025, and Wyoming Parks and Recreation manages and programs it.
By December 2025 the holiday event was running at the Mercado as Wyoming Winter Wonderland. WKTV's preview lists what that first edition offered:
- Performances by the Wyoming Honors Choir and the Wyoming Jazz Band
- Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus
- A holiday train
- An artisan market on Friday night, followed by a full Holiday Artisan Market on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- A drive for new warm clothing for area schoolchildren, with hats, gloves, coats and scarves especially requested
The giving piece carried over from Wrap Up Wyoming. In 2025, donations were accepted through December at the Parks and Recreation office in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The 2026 listing gives the date and time. Check the Mercado's event page closer to Dec. 4 for this year's details.
The city's Wrap Up Wyoming page still lists the Senior Center and a Dec. 6 date from an earlier year. For this year's schedule, use the Godwin Mercado calendar.
The winter market runs monthly
The farmers market keeps going after this season, on a different schedule. The summer market ran Sundays from May 3 through Oct. 25. The city's opening announcement listed closures on May 24, July 5 and Sept. 6. The winter market is one weekday evening a month, from 4 to 8 p.m. on the last Tuesday of January, February, March and April.
That is fewer market days than the early plan. During the pre-opening tour, WKTV reported that "a single market day will be hosted each week during the winter months." The schedule now on the market page sets four winter market days, one in each of those four months.
The building was designed with cold-weather use in mind. Parks and Recreation Director Krashawn Martin told WKTV how the large overhead doors work: "In those colder weather months, maybe you'll see the garage doors down, maybe we'll have a little breeze going. But this gives us a great amount of space to be able to have vendors."
The city released the opening vendor lineup for the summer market in April:
| Category | Opening-season names from the city's April 2026 announcement |
|---|---|
| Farms | Joe's Happy Acres Farm, Mixed Bag Farm, The Pease Family Farm |
| Baked goods and treats | DADS Treats, Daily Dough LLC, Mini Delights LLC, The Great Bread Company |
| Pantry | Phoenician Spice Company |
| Makers and art | Boeket LLC, Mike and Beth's Nature Portraits, Kate Lewis Ceramics |
| Opening-day food trucks | Casa de los Abuelos, PizzaMI, Runyon Roasts |
Casa de los Abuelos was expected to return through the season. Before opening day, Martin told FOX 17 the market would bring a broad mix of produce, breads, cheeses, meats and artisans. The winter lineup is still being built. The winter vendor application is open, and it asks applicants which food assistance programs they accept: Senior Project Fresh, WIC, Double Up Food Bucks or SNAP EBT.
The factory site on the same block of 36th Street is occupied
The Mercado's address is 301 36th St. SW. At 300 36th St. SW is Site 36, the 75-acre former General Motors stamping plant. It sat vacant for nearly two decades after the plant closed during the Great Recession. MLive reported on Oct. 5 that construction there is nearing completion. Here is where the three tenants stood as of that report:
- Corewell Health built a 296,515-square-foot consolidated service center on the northern 40 acres. It houses supply chain offices and document and mail services, with 240 jobs. It has its certificate of occupancy.
- Benteler Automotive built a 316,965-square-foot battery components assembly plant at 4011 Stafford Ave. SW, projected to create 147 full-time jobs. It also has its certificate of occupancy.
- Gelock is building a $20 million facility at 3901 Buchanan Ave. SW, expected to finish by spring 2027 with 60 to 70 employees. The plans include a bike path.
The Mercado and the factory site are tied together financially as well. In the brownfield work plan the City Council approved on Sept. 8, the Wyoming Brownfield Redevelopment Authority's Godwin Mercado project is first in line for tax increment reimbursement tied to the Site 36 redevelopment, at $1.42 million in eligible expenses. Benteler follows at $1.865 million and Gelock at more than $2 million. The city projects all three will be repaid by 2031.
The change on 36th Street affects daily traffic as well as events. Deputy City Manager Nicole Hofert described what a full site means to MLive: "When you've had a site that's been vacant as long as that site has, and now all of a sudden, you've got roughly 400 people coming to that site daily, those are also people who need to find someplace to eat lunch. Hopefully some new restaurants will come to the area to help fulfill that need." She told the outlet the city hopes the growth will reach the Division Avenue corridor and bring restaurants or housing. She also pointed to nearby effects already underway. A gas station near the site is expanding to handle more daily commuters. The city approved plans in January for American Gas & Oil to replace its station at 150 36th St. SW with a new 4,120-square-foot gas station and convenience store.
For anyone heading to a Friday evening event or a Tuesday market, 36th Street is busier than it was a year ago. The Mercado's winter events take place at the edge of a working employment campus.
Before you go
- Contact for questions or reservations. The Mercado takes private event reservations at 616-249-3475. Food truck operators can reach the market manager at [email protected].
- Santa breakfast registration. Register ahead for the Dec. 19 breakfast for everyone older than one, at the resident or nonresident price.
- First weekend of December. Last year's Winter Wonderland ran Friday evening, followed by a Saturday artisan market. The 2026 calendar repeats that pattern on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5.
- Donations. Last year's event collected new hats, gloves, coats and scarves for area schoolchildren. Check the 2026 event page for this year's drive.
- Mark Jan. 26. It is the first winter farmers market of 2027, from 4 to 8 p.m.
A full calendar at Godwin Mercado and three employers at Site 36 are changing the Godwin Heights side of Wyoming. If you own a home near that stretch and want to know how the change shows up in your home's value, Glover Agency can walk you through the recent sales around you. See Your Market Value.
