History

We are a passionate group Federal Way residents that are volunteering our time because we want our city to thrive, grow, and become an even better place to live, work, and play. 

If you share our vision and have some time or skills to contribute, contact us using the "Get Involved" link at the top of the page.

In 2018, long-time resident Roger Flygare posted a picture of Wenatchee’s Pybus Public Market on the Nextdoor social media app. He shared his dream that one day Federal Way would have a community-driven public market equal to Pybus. 

A handful of Federal Way residents, sharing that vision, stepped up and dedicated themselves to making the Federal Way Public Market a reality. 

They looked to other Pacific Northwest market for inspiration and learned from their founders and directors and met with other like-minded Federal Way residents on-line and in-person to gather ideas and garner support.

In mid-2020, those early efforts gained momentum. They established a Board of Directors, developed a website, drafted a project plan and timeline, and began recruiting volunteers.  In 2022, the Federal Way Public Market became a 501c3 non-profit and in 2024, the Market received a grant from the state of Washington to complete a feasibility study to see if the economic, demographic, and geographic conditions in Federal Way would allow a Public Market to be successful.  The study was completed in Summer 2025 and showed that the Market would not only be successful in Federal Way, it would be transformative for the city.  

Roger Flygare, Founder

In memorium.  

A resident of Federal Way since 1968, excluding three tours in Vietnam, Roger Flygare and his wife Karla, were married for 48 years, have an adult son and two grandchildren. He’s been a leader in state and national legal services organizations and provided court reporting throughout the Northwest. Roger was a long-time community volunteer with the Lions Club, Rotary, and Kiwanis, as well as with business organizations, including the Washington Association of Business and the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce. Roger also served on three Federal Way Commissions: Civil Service, Parks, and Salary Review.  

Roger continued to serve his country and fellow veterans as Commander of VFW Post 1741 which achieved All-State and All-American recognition from the National VFW Headquarters for their outstanding performance during COVID-19.  

Roger began advocating for a public market in Federal Way after returning from a European trip, inspired by public markets that have existed for centuries. In 2017, he learned that a public market – Pybus Public Market – was booming in Wenatchee. He realized that all the changes coming with the Sound Transit light rail provided the perfect opportunity to achieve his dream. 

In his own words, “The population of Federal Way and the area around us represent people from around the globe. A public market would reflect these wonderful cultures, while also providing great opportunities for artists, craftspeople, performers, vendors of all kinds, emerging and learning business owners. A Federal Way Public Market would be a gift benefitting our entire region.”