On Saturday, November 21, the Meridian Township Farmers' Market sets up under the Marketplace on the Green pavilion at 1995 Central Park Drive one last time this year, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A week later, on November 28, the market reopens in the JCPenney Wing of the Meridian Mall. Three days after that, on December 1, the pavilion opens as a free outdoor ice rink for the winter.
The handoff takes ten days, from the last outdoor market on November 21 to the first skaters on December 1. The township lists a market every Saturday from November 28 through December 19. Last winter, the schedule after Christmas was thinner. For anyone in Haslett who plans the holiday table or holiday gifts around this market, those four Saturdays in a row are the stretch the township has put on the calendar.
Ten days on Central Park Drive
Here is how the late-November calendar lays out, based on the township's market page and its winter recreation page:
| Date | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Final outdoor market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Marketplace on the Green, 1995 Central Park Drive, Okemos |
| Thu., Nov. 26 to Mon., Nov. 30 | Harris Nature Center building closed for the holiday | 3998 Van Atta Road, Okemos |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | First indoor market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | JCPenney Wing, Meridian Mall |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Free public skating begins | Marketplace on the Green pavilion |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 12 and 19 | Indoor market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | JCPenney Wing, Meridian Mall |
The Meridian Mall's own contact page lists its address as 1982 W. Grand River Ave., Okemos. Inside, the market fills the JCPenney corridor. In 2023, WILX placed it next to Launch and H&M.
Four straight Saturdays, then a thinner schedule
The township's November and December listing reads "every Saturday through December 19." Last winter's schedule shows what came next.
In its November 2025 announcement, the township set every Saturday before Christmas as a market day. Starting January 3, 2026, the market met only on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of each month. That calendar looked like this:
- Nov. 29 to Dec. 20, 2025: four market Saturdays in four weeks
- Jan. 3 to April 18, 2026: nine market Saturdays in about fifteen weeks, on Jan. 3, 17 and 31; Feb. 7 and 21; March 7 and 21; and April 4 and 18
Last year, a shopper who missed a Saturday in December could come back the next week. In February, a missed market meant two weeks without one. The township says the market page is updated weekly with that Saturday's expected vendors, so check it for the January dates.
Why a mall corridor works in January
The indoor season is fairly new, and it grew out of a practical problem. In January 2023, market manager Tom Cary told WLNS that outdoor traffic dropped once shoppers went back to grocery stores after the pandemic. Cold weather led the township to approach the mall. WLNS also reported that the mall had hosted a single indoor market on March 7, 2020, and that vendors had liked it.
The indoor vendor figures reported each season have risen:
- January 2023: 25 to 30 vendors, according to WILX
- December 2024: more than 50 vendors, according to WILX
- November 2025: up to 80 vendors, which the township called its largest indoor market yet
The 2025 figure was a ceiling the township advertised, not a headcount, and it was still well above the 2023 report. As the 2024 season moved indoors, Cary told WILX what he had seen the winter before:
"First days are always a bit of adjustment for everybody, but last year, I know that the vendors were really happy about the turnout and the sales that they had, and the customers that were coming through."
What the winter tables carry
Each week the market page lists that Saturday's expected vendors. The list for November 7, 2026, the last one before this writing, shows how much is still on offer this late in the year. Produce came from C & S Family Farm, Diemer's Farm & Greenhouse, Farm & Forest, Green Eagle Farm, Highwater Farms, The Country Mill, Three Lakes Gardens, Titus Farms and Turnip the Beets Farm, plus mushrooms from Mycophiles Garden. The baked goods side included Bread Ahead, Freshies Bakery, Hickory Grove Bakery, DoughNation Bakery, Ignite Donuts, Pizzelles Plus and The Sourdough Depot. Circle F Meats & Mercantile and Jennings Farm covered meat and eggs. That roster is for November 7, and each indoor Saturday gets its own posted list.
Some sellers adjust what they make for winter. In April 2024, Spartan Newsroom profiled several regulars. Mónica Peters of Summer Nights Apiaries said her honey ran out over the winter, so she added chocolate products to keep coming to the market. Herb Confer of Sandy Ridge Maple Products described his maple sugar, flavored syrups, maple mustard and maple cotton candy. The same story featured Malinda Barr of The Beeswax Barrn.
The township's 2025 announcement said SNAP recipients can use the Michigan Bridge Card at the market, and that SNAP tokens and Double Up Food Bucks are handed out and accepted year-round.
The pavilion as a rink
Once the market moves out, the pavilion becomes a 40-by-92-foot artificial ice rink. It is open for public skating from December 1 through March 31, seven days a week, from dawn until 9 p.m., and it is free. Some skates are kept on-site to borrow at no charge, donated by Delta Dental, Suburban Ice Arena and community members.
The rink is a recent addition. Minutes from the township's Economic Development Corporation show it was set to be ordered in October 2021 and installed that November. WILX covered its reopening in December 2022. The township's posted rules are short:
- Only figure or hockey skates are allowed on the ice.
- Hockey is not permitted, and pucks and sticks stay off the skating area.
- No street shoes, food, drinks or pets in the skating area.
- Borrowed skates are tied together and returned to the lending cabinet, and skates are not worn on the concrete.
Saturday, December 5, stacked
The first weekend of December puts several township events within a short drive of one another. On Saturday, December 5, the market is open inside the mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the rink is open for skating. The same day, the 33rd Annual Holiday Craft Sale opens at the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center, 5153 Marsh Road, Okemos. It runs December 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., features Native American-themed art and jewelry by local artists, and vendors accept cash.
On Sunday morning, December 6, Harris Nature Center holds Dogs and Coffee from 9 to 10 a.m. at 3998 Van Atta Road. Coffee is provided, dogs stay leashed, the fee is $5 per person, and registration is available. The nature center's building is closed for Thanksgiving from November 26 through November 30. Its trails and grounds normally stay open from dawn to dusk, subject to holiday conditions.
Closer to Haslett, the CADL Haslett branch calendar lists its regular Baby Storytime, Crafternoons and Chess Club on Tuesday, November 24, two days before Thanksgiving.
Timing matters in a Haslett home sale too. If you want to talk through when a property here should come to market in the new year, Shelly Hall welcomes you to request a private consultation.
