Mike Wolanin | The Republic People arrive at the Seasonal Entertainment Arts and Recreation Space (SEARS) Winter Market in the former Sears building in Columbus, Ind., Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025.
Community members will ring in the new year Saturday during the second go-round of the S.E.A.R.S. Indoor Winter Market.
The former Sears Building at 318 Jackson St. was the site of the first pop-up winter market on Dec. 20, with four more dates to come.
The event features rotating local vendors, kids activities, live music inside throughout the day presented by Columbus Area Arts Council (CAAC) and a beer garden by Blacksheep Pizza & Cocktails.
It’ll take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., although future dates may be shorted by a couple hours, organizers said.
The final three market dates are on Jan. 17, Jan. 31 and Feb. 14.
The second iteration of the market will feature an expanded “main street” area with more vendors than last time, a play area for children overseen by kidscommons and four food trucks sitting outside on Jackson Street as dining options.
Admission is free, but people are asked to provide feedback by writing on a large white board situated near the kids play area.
The market will also feature the “Inside Out,” installation from the fifth Exhibit Columbus cycle, “Yes And.”
Created by University Design Research Fellows team Chandler Ahrens, Constance Vale and Kelly Van Dyck Murphy, “Inside Out” is a multi-story dollhouse inspired by the works of Alexander Girard.
Organizers said that one vendor, BORED? GAMES!, is hosting a Dungeons and Dragons tournament with about 80 players as well.
The market is an outgrowth of the Columbus Downtown 2030 plan, where one common piece of feedback from community members was how much they appreciated the Columbus Farmer’s Market, and how there was an appetite for more of something similar.
Urban planning and design firm Sasaki, who partnered with subconsultants SB Friedman and Storyboard in the plan’s inception, put together more than 50 recommendations for the future of downtown, based on community feedback, divided over the immediate to long-term.
Since the recommendations were officially released in September, three different implementation teams Mayor Mary Ferdon put together have begun looking for ways to realize some of the ideas in the plan.
One such recommendation in the 2030 plan was some type of market hall to operate as a year-round Columbus Farmer’s Market location. This drove momentum for the pop-up, which was a collaboration between the city’s department of community development, Office of Downtown Development (ODD) and CAAC.
More information can be found at: searsmarket.com.
