The most recent theft happened last Saturday. As organizers were setting up, someone stole their generator.
SEATTLE — The Columbia City Night Market, a monthly event held every third Saturday connecting small businesses with the community, has been set back thousands of dollars after thieves stole from them.
Doc Wilson leads Peace Peloton. The nonprofit organization focuses on supporting Black business owners, giving them a platform to get their goods and services in front of eager buyers. They’re the organization behind the market.
Wilson said a generator was stolen during setup for June’s market.
“It was a really empty feeling. There was a lot going on at once. I was frustrated for maybe two minutes. Then, I gathered myself,” Wilson said.
Just hours before the Market opened, Wilson drove to the closest hardware store and purchased another generator to ensure things went off without a hitch.
“The show has to go on but now we have to find a way to replace that money that we spent that we didn’t budget for,” he said.
The generator being stolen was yet another loss they had to cover. Recently, someone stole two wagons from where the market stores all their equipment. Wilson said they’re out around $5,000 for everything stolen. He started a GoFundMe to help cover those costs.
Wilson said this ordeal makes one of their key goals harder to fulfill.
“We’re here to give [small businesses] a platform where they can share their services with the community so they can grow and hire employees. When you do this (steal from us), that sets us back,” he said.
Wilson is doubtful any of the items stolen will be returned, but he’s working to get security camera video from nearby businesses to turn over to police.
