Business Community

Patterson’s Market back for another Christmas at a new location

The location is new but the iconic holiday displays are not. Patterson’s Market is back.

Christmas in Gig Harbor has now arrived and one of its most beloved local businesses is here to help you bring on the cheer.

Giant inflatable toy soldiers stand at attention as they bobble in the breeze above a grassy field of happy wooden cutout cows located behind Anderson’s General Store and Chevron station on Point Fosdick.

Just a year ago, the now 44-year-old business was served up a bag of coal just a month out from Christmas. The Pattersons were evicted from their longtime location at the corner of 56th Street and 38th Avenue.

The iconic decorations at Patterson’s, now located at the Anderson’s General Store and Chevron station on Point Fosdick Drive. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Immediate offers of support

It didn’t take long for the word to get out. Offers of support poured into the market’s owners, Shelli and Rick Patterson, longtime Gig Harbor residents and high school sweethearts.

“They came to us right away,” said Rick. He’s referring to Greg Anderson of Anderson’s General Store, another longtime Gig Harbor business owner. Anderson provided a space adjacent to his small-town grocery store for Shelli and Rick’s business. This location is close to the Pt. Fosdick traffic circle near the airport.

Greg’s brother, Kevin Anderson, owns a storage business across the street. He provided the Pattersons with a landing spot for their outdoor market’s structures, supplies, and all of those colorful cheery wooden cutouts synonymous with the Pattersons.

Rick and Shelli Patterson at their new business’s home on Point Fosdick Drive. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

‘Tree guys’

“It’s not the money,” that keeps Rick in the outdoor market business, he says. It’s the community and, “seeing all the familiar faces.” He points to two young men across the lot, or “Tree Guys” as they are called at Patterson’s. “Their parents used to rent bouncy houses from us,” when they were kids, he says.

Today, those boys are young men. They are learning business the old-fashioned way, hands-on and in the elements.

Rick has supplied his Tree Guys with another fresh truckload of Noble and Frasier Christmas trees to prep for customers. Following Thanksgiving, the entire inventory of trees was sold out by Sunday, requiring Rick to make another journey to the Satsop Valley in Grays Harbor County for more trees.

Rick Patterson offers direction to his Tree Guys, Nick Lavinder (left) and Conner Tanksley (center). Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Customers

This isn’t the first time to Patterson’s for customer Stacy Hodder.

“I Iove it. I love to support small businesses,” she says. A decorative wreath and garland are on Hodder’s shopping list today. A simple Google search connected her to the Patterson’s new market location.

While it’s best to come in and pick a tree in person, recommends Shelli Patterson, customers can call in orders. For some longstanding customers, Patterson’s continues to deliver and set up trees.

One of those loyal customers, Rick said, was Mrs. McNeil. This will be the first year, after 43, that Patterson’s would not make the trip to Raft Island to do the honors of erecting Mrs. McNeil’s Christmas tree. Her passing ends a chapter. Decades of holiday traditions for local families have connected to Patterson’s Market.

Customers Baily Gallagher (left) and Stacy Hodder (right) pick up a wreath at Patterson’s. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

The Pattersons want to get the word out about their new location on Pt. Fosdick, offering seasonal shopping. They also have a message for Gig Harbor: “Thank the community for being so supportive to us. It’s been amazing!”

Patterson’s Farm Market

Phone: (253) 851-8144

New location: Adjacent to Anderson’s General Store at 1902 Point Fosdick Dr.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Sunday

What’s there: Noble and Frasier trees, $34 and up; fresh cedar garland; custom, locally handmade wreaths. Custom orders and specialty holiday requests available.

Anderson’s General Store on Point Fosdick Drive offered the Patterson’s a location to open their stand. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann