Sweet Martha's Releases First-Ever Line of Merch

Without the State Fair, many of us won't be able to score her hot-from-the-oven cookies this year, but we can still rep our Sweet Martha pride.

by

Mark your calendars! Tomorrow, beloved cookie empire and State Fair vendor Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar is launching its first line of merch. And no, we aren't talking about the iconic yellow tees we see sported by the cookie crew working the Minnesota State Fair (those are for employees only). 

The cult cookie brand has been getting requests for merchandise for years, but never had the time until now to fully commit to making a collection. "With the cancellation of the Minnesota State Fair this year, we thought it would be a good way for us to connect with our fans to give them a piece of Sweet Martha’s without the fair," says St. Paul native Martha Rossini Olson, owner of Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar.

The collection of apparel includes an original logo grey tee, crew-neck and hooded sweatshirts, hats, kids tees, a baby onesie, and tie-dye tees—some even hand-died by Martha herself, who worked as an elementary school art teacher for years. "I thought this would be a good way to be able to get back to my roots while spending time with my children, nieces and nephews (who all helped)," says Olson.

Ten percent of proceeds during the month of August will be donated to North Minneapolis-based Cookie Cart, an organization that provides training and employment for teens ages 15 to 18 within urban nonprofit bakeries. The brand is also donating proceeds to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul.

"We sure will miss the livelihood and traditions of the Minnesota State Fair this year," says Olson. "We’ll miss our countless family and friends who work alongside us, customers, and fellow vendors who we look forward to seeing every year. We are so excited for the 2020 Minnesota State Food Parade and the opportunity to serve the fans that will be attending. It’s a year of many firsts, and though it won’t be the same, we are thrilled to participate in what will go down as a piece of Minnesota State Fair history."

The collection drops at 10 A.M. on Thursday, August 6. sweetmarthas.com, @sweetmarthas