Shoppers line up at the deli inside Plumas Lake’s new Holiday Market during the store’s grand opening Aug. 28. The deli features Boar’s Head meats and cheeses along with fresh sandwiches and other prepared foods.

PLUMAS LAKE, CA (MPG) - The parking lot was packed Friday as Plumas Lake residents poured into their community’s long-awaited Holiday Market for the first time.

For many, the Aug. 28 grand opening meant more than simply checking out a new store. It marked the end of a wait stretching back nearly as long as the community itself — and meant residents could finally make a full grocery run without leaving Plumas Lake.

Few seemed more excited about that milestone than Yuba County Supervisor Gary Bradford, who represents the community and has lived in Plumas Lake for more than two decades.

“This is a pretty exciting day for Plumas Lake — and one that has been more than 20 years in the making,” Bradford told those gathered for the grand-opening ribbon cutting.

The first residents began moving into Plumas Lake in 2004, Bradford said. He followed in November 2005 and has watched the community grow through periods of rapid development, the slowdown brought by the Great Recession and another surge of growth in recent years. Through it all, one request remained consistent.

“Whenever residents talked to me about what Plumas Lake needed, one thing was almost always at the top of the list: a grocery store,” Bradford said. “Well, today we finally get to check that one off the list!”

The new Holiday Market in Plumas Lake welcomed shoppers during its grand opening Friday, Aug. 28. The store is the community’s first full-service grocery store.

The store, located near the intersection of Plumas Lake and River Oaks boulevards, is the community’s first full-service grocery store. Until now, residents looking to stock up on groceries generally had to leave Plumas Lake and travel to Marysville, Yuba City or other surrounding communities. When ground was broken on the Holiday Market in August 2025, the Territorial Dispatch reported that many residents were traveling eight to 10 miles or more for access to full-service grocery shopping.

That history helped make Friday’s crowds less surprising. Shoppers filled the aisles exploring the new store, while some of the longest lines formed at the deli, where families waited to order sandwiches with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. Fresh sushi was also available, along with the produce, meat, bakery and other departments residents previously had to travel outside the community to find in one location.

The opening also provided some local businesses with a new place to put their products in front of shoppers. Among the regional brands represented on the shelves were Big Daddy’s Salsa Co., Sutter Buttes Artisan Sourdough, Simply Sweets of Plumas Lake and Lou Orleans Gourmet Cupcakes and Desserts.

For a community that spent two decades waiting for a grocery store of its own, Friday’s opening turned a longtime wish into an everyday convenience.

“I’m just as excited as everyone else that I can finally buy my groceries and get a sandwich without leaving town!” Bradford said.