Welcome to the Olympia Farmers Market, take a look around. There are fabrics, fruits, and a freshman on the fiddle.
Freshman Toby Wilson is an experienced fiddle player who spends his weekends busking at the Olympia Farmers Market, where the community is as integral to Wilson’s success as the music itself.
During the summer of 2022, Wilson went to the farmers market and saw guitar players making music and collecting tips. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a great way to make money!” Wilson recalled, “It’s something I already know how to do, brings more music to the world, and people love it.”
Wilson began performing, not knowing what to expect. The more Wilson performed, the more integrated into the Farmers Market community he became. Vendors were especially supportive, giving him free drinks when it was hot, or hand warmers when it was cold. Casey Wilson, Toby Wilson’s mother, reported how “Toby was now part of this inner circle [of vendors] which [she] noticed years ago.”
Woodworker Ramon Averett called Wilson’s music “a great addition to the market,” explaining how Wilson’s style and variety gave him a unique presence. “The second time I heard Toby playing,” he said, “I knew it was him.” Different styles of music and art are what create the atmosphere of the Olympia Farmers Market, and Averett felt Wilson’s music brought a lot of joy.
The audience at the farmers market was similarly enthusiastic. One group in particular cemented themselves as Wilson’s biggest fans. “5-year-olds will see me and they’ll just stop and stare or start dancing,” Wilson said, “Sometimes one 5-year-old sees another 5-year-old doing something and they’ll pile up.” Averett likewise recalls seeing some children “dancing a jig” while Wilson played an Irish reel.
Other buskers, including an accordion player and a 12-year-old girl, have found their creative haven at the farmers market as well. Wilson described it as being “really friendly, and super inclusive of anyone doing anything creative.”
Olympia Farmers Market goes beyond just being a place where vendors sell goods. It is a place for artists like Wilson to get their start, which in turn inspires others. “I’ve gotten at least one or two young people interested in playing violin,” Wilson said.
Wilson performs at the market on weekends, during either the first or last hours of the market.
