By ELI BLANKINSHIP
Tiger Media Network
As the leaves start to change color and the weather begins to shift towards autumn, the City of Hays is taking advantage of every last temperate day of the year.
This past Saturday was the final Downtown Hays Market of the 2025 calendar year, and not only did a large variety of vendors turn up, but so did the City of Hays.
Hays local visits with a representative of Hidden Thistle Meats. 
Hays showed up in numbers for the final market of the year. 
Svaty’s Produce decorated pumpkins to display at the market. 
Dave Svaty, owner of Svaty Produce, opens a plastic bag to put produce in for a customer 
Rigo Murillo, member of the Hays Symphony, preformed with his violin at the market. 
Hays local hands Precision Design owner, Jordan Zimmerman, her card. 
Hays local inspects the products of Heritage Soaps. 
This is the 12th year that the Downtown Hays Market has run. 
ANDBakery owner, Sarah Polifka, speaks with her customers. 
Precision Designs had many 3D printed designs to offer at the market. 
Hays local speaks with a representative of Jensen Farms after purchasing honey. 
Custom cutting board displays the Jensen Farms logo. 
Jensen Farms honey on a table. 
Hays local chats with an artisan at the market. 
Young child deciding on which trinket to purchase. 
Tiger Baseball fan observes the products that Heritage Soaps has to offer. 
Hays local shows off her Halloween spirit with a festive fall themed outfit. 
Hays local purchases produce from the Svaty Produce stand. 
Young couple inspects product from an artisan at the market. 
The market showing off its fall spirit with pumpkins lining the walls of the pavilion. 
Huff-N-Stuff owner, Donna Huff, sells baked goods to Hays local.
The market, hosted at the downtown pavilion, featured baked goods, fresh produce, candlemakers, artisans, and even live music.
“I have been promoting the violin since I took up playing at age 13,” said violinist Rigo Murillo. “That’s what I’m trying to do here at the market, expose the music.”
Vendors from all over Western Kansas utilize the market as a way to produce income and create a following for their business.
“The Hays community is always good at patronizing us,” said Svaty Produce owner Dave Svaty. “We appreciate the business that they give us, and it’s one of the best markets we go to.”
Small business owners truly love the market’s popularity and the support it brings to their business.
“I started out really small at the market in 2017 and have grown gradually to where now I have a line,” said ANDBakery owner Sarah Polifka. “It makes my heart happy that the community comes to see me and try my treats.”
Despite the market season coming to a close, many of the small businesses continue to operate as fall kicks into full swing.
“We’re mother and daughters that love to bake and cook,” said Huff-N-Stuff owner Donna Huff. “This has been an outstanding adventure for us the whole summer, we’ve had a good crowd down here.”
Most of the vendors that showed up to the final market of the year said that they are able to continue running their businesses through social media and other market-like events.
“I do a lot of other craft fairs,” said Precision Designs owner Jordan Zimmerman. “The next one for me would be December 13th at the mall all day, but if not, you can look me up on Facebook, I post a lot of this stuff on there.”
The Downtown Hays Market will return for its 14th year in late spring of 2026.