KINGS BEACH, Calif. — The Tahoe Backyard located in Kings Beach was created to feel like someone’s backyard. 

When property manager and owner of Chickadee Art Collective Nicole Stirling saw the opportunity for artists in the area to participate in outdoor vending this summer, she jumped at the chance. 

“We love Truckee Thursdays, but it’s so crowded,” said Stirling. “We felt like we should have a market on the North Shore. We knew there was a need for one and that Kings Beach should bring it back, so we’re hoping to grow [the market] year after year.” 

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So the Kings Beach Makers Market was born. Every Saturday from 3-8 p.m., Tahoe Backyard hosts a number of local vendors along with opportunities to purchase bites or brews and catch some live music. 

“Most of the vendors are vendors or artists from inside of Chickadee Art Collective, and then we’ve added a few more throughout the summer,” said Stirling. “It’s so nice to be able to provide a place for our local artists and makers to sell their work and see the talent in our community.” 

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Vendors include, but aren’t limited to, Tahoe Bread Company, Anderson Cards Company, Chili Peppers Painting, EPI Ceramics, and more. Brews are available from Bear Belly Brewing, which also calls the Tahoe Backyard home. Currently, Yard Hen is the only food vendor on site with handcrafted dishes made from local ingredients, and Stirling is hoping to soon fill the other two food truck spots. 

Some nights, Tahoe Backyard hosts live music during the markets, and have seen bands like Broken Compass Bluegrass grace the stage. 

Throughout the summer, Tahoe Backyard hosted other events like the Tahoe Poetry Collective and the Backyard hold the Poetry at the Backyard, which features writers from near and far to read their work among local community members and see their pieces printed in a chapter book. 

“Poetry night came out of the same need that the market did,” said Stirling. “We have some talented writers in our area and to have a constructive and creative and supportive place to read their work, that was what we were going for.”

Although the summer season is coming to an end, Stirling is already planning how to make the next season even better. 

“We’d like to include and add more live music in the coming seasons,” said Stirling. “We will have a holiday market for sure, if not a continuing market.” 

Stirling and her team are busy working on ways to continue bringing the market during the fall and winter season, but the summer market will be running through Saturday, Sept. 24. For more information, visit tahoebackyard.com.

Miranda Jacobson is a reporter for the Tahoe Daily Tribune, a sister publication of the Sun. She can be reached at mjacobson@tahoedailytribune.com.