In a world where online shopping is booming, local markets are more important than ever for bringing small business owners together and providing opportunities to showcase their products and passions in person. Bex met up with the creators of Wonder and lets us in on the wonders of Wonder.
Wonder is no ordinary market. It’s a cleverly crafted Christmas day out, filled with incredibly talented small businesses showcasing high quality products that they have likely spent endless hours creating before displaying them on trestle tables, ready for a new home under the Christmas tree.
As you enter the Christmassy curated grounds of Waikoko Gardens, you are first greeted by the iconic ticketing pop top caravan, which sets the tone for the entire event. The grounds are decorated with rustic Christmas décor and summery green and white furniture among a sea of marquees. The vibrant atmosphere is filled with live music, the chatter of eager shoppers and the delicious aromas wafting from food trucks. Or perhaps it’s just the mojito in the sun while the kids play in the children’s entertainment area that instils that festive feeling.
As a big advocate for the event, both as a customer and stallholder, I jumped at the chance to sit down with Emily, the market owner, to chat about the ins and outs of owning and directing one of Hawke’s Bay’s most anticipated events.
Wonder Markets began under the vision of Aleisha Roulston in 2020. Inspired by the ‘Magic of Christmas’ in Palmerston North, Aleisha spent her time in lockdown creating the Wonder brand, ready to bring it to life in December 2020.
Emily Cameron and her husband, Bevan, took the reins in 2023. Her path to this role has been both unconventional and inspiring. Balancing life as a wife, and mother of her eight-year-old twin girls and five year- old boy while working her sales job and comanaging the family farm in Argyll, Central Hawke’s Bay, her journey into event management stemmed from a love for markets and a genuine desire to blend her passion for organisation into a profession.
“I was at a point where the kids were getting older and I needed something just for me that wasn’t on the farm or related to the kids’ school – something I was interested in. I always wanted my own business, one that fits around my family’s schedule rather than the other way around. I considered studying accountancy because I love spreadsheets, but I still wanted something creative.
I had been going to the Wonder Markets since it started, and one day Aleisha posted that it was for sale. After meeting up and discussing the opportunity, everything just fell into place.”
With no event-planning experience other than her own wedding, you can imagine how daunting it was to own an entire event-based business. Emily laughed as she shared what she’s learned along the way. “When I first took over, I accidentally deleted the Pēpi Market event page and had to start from scratch. I basically notified 1,500 people that the event was cancelled, when it wasn’t.”
Despite her Facebook faux pas and the false start Cyclone Gabrielle provided for her first market as the new owner, Wonder 2023 had its biggest year yet, attracting over 4,500 attendees.
A large part of Emily’s job involves finding the right businesses for the stallholder lineup. Each year, over 200 businesses apply for a stall at the Wonder Markets.
Each application is carefully reviewed, followed by an exploration of their online platforms. To keep the lineup fresh, Emily spends a lot of time visiting other markets, both in Hawke’s Bay and out of town. “The out-of-town stallholders help draw new crowds and add a new aspect to the event that we perhaps didn’t have the previous year.”
Emily continues Aleisha’s passion for spotlighting small businesses and giving them a platform to share their work with the community. “These businesses are often side hustles or passion projects, particularly for mums who have created something special inspired by events in their own lives.”
For instance, ‘Milly’s Magic’, created by Hawke’s Bay local Rebecca Zajonskowski, emerged after Rebecca struggled to find a solution for her daughter’s eczema.
She crafted her own soothing balms, turning a personal challenge into a beloved brand. Stories like Rebecca’s highlight the entrepreneurial spirit that Emily looks for when selecting businesses for the event.
This year, Wonder is donating the koha raised from children’s entries to ‘A Children’s Christmas’. This initiative, created by Craggy Range Winery in 2018, has donated over 5,000 Christmas sacks to children across Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa who may not have otherwise received gifts.
This campaign was launched in response to rising concerns for child welfare in Hawke’s Bay, where an estimated 23% of children live below the poverty line, many experiencing extreme hardship. The gift sacks include carefully selected, long-lasting educational and active items designed for kids from toddlers to teenagers. “I chose this charity because it wasn’t widely publicised but was doing so much good. It seemed like a fitting place to focus the koha for 2024.”
Looking to the future, Emily intends to continue with the original Wonder Christmas in December and is currently working on adding a new ‘Wonder Winter Market’ for the public to experience a mid-year Christmas themed event in Hawke’s Bay. “It will include all the best bits from the original market, but relocated indoors.” Think Christmas lights, mulled wine and comfort food made hot from the food vendors.
When I asked how she stays ahead of trends in the luxury market, Emily explained that it usually starts with Pinterest and scouring the internet for ideas. “I spend a lot of time researching overseas markets and attending local New Zealand ones. I have a great partnership with Flock Events; their furniture range is a huge part of the Wonder styling, so I often take inspiration from their other events’ aesthetics and apply similar styling, with their help.”
With the 2024 Wonder Market on the horizon, I asked Emily what she’s most proud of since taking over the business. Her answer was simple:
“I’m honestly just really proud of me. I’m not an event planner and I’ve never done anything like this, but I love it! Also, having my kids play pretend ‘markets’ together in their Wonder T-shirts, wearing their stall lanyards and setting up all the Wonder signs – it’s a real sense of pride when your kids pretend to be you in their playtime.”
So as I said, Wonder is no ordinary market. It’s a celebration of our community. It’s Christmas shopping, a day out with friends, live music, cocktails in the sun, wreath-making workshops, delicious food and endless entertainment for the kids. And as their slogan says, it’s about ‘crafting communities, creating wonders’.
