Valley Arts Council launches new market
Published 10:00 am Wednesday, June 25, 2025
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
VALLEY – Members of the community came out on Saturday for the Valley Arts Council’s first Saturday Market underneath and around the Valley Farmer’s Market Pavilion. It got underway at 7 a.m. EDT and continued through the noon hour. Arts Council President Suzie Britt organized the market as a way for local artists and crafters to showcase and sell their items.
“We have so many neat and unusual items here today [Saturday],” Britt said. “We have 26 vendors, most of whom are underneath the pavilion and some underneath the tents we’ve set up nearby. We have a variety of arts and crafts items on display, and we enjoy having talented young people sharing what they do. Each market will have a different theme. The July market will be for local youth. We’d also like to have a market for antique sales, one for the fall and one for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
The youngsters included Able Gardener Milner Letson, who was there with plants he’s grown with the help of his parents, Jacob and Jade Letson. Another skilled youth at the market was Claire Hamby. She is self-taught in the art of crocheting and had some lovely items she had made by hand at her booth. Her mother, Melanie Hamby, was accompanying her.
“We would like to do these Saturday markets on a once-a-month basis,” Britt said. “We would like to have youngsters like Milner and Claire at our next market in July.”
Amy Cook of the Mountaintop Wreath Company was there showcasing wreaths and botanicals.
“I don’t like to say fake flowers,” Cook jokes. “I had rather say permanent botanicals. With my son Cody grown and off on his own, I’m now an empty nester. I needed something else to do but raise a child. Several years ago my husband Danny and I were on vacation near Gatlinburg, TN, and admiring the view from a mountaintop when it came to me that making beautiful things by hand was something worthwhile. I’ve since been making these wreaths and botanicals. I try to create pretty things people like. A lot of people tell me they like what I do, and that makes me feel good.”
Becky Hollis had fiber art on sale at her booth. A seamstress, Hollis had quilts, aprons and bibs on display.
Tonya Harrell and her son Lee had a food booth with lemonade, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls and salmon patties.
Marsha Thrift had jewelry items including necklaces and rings. She also had fig preserves.
Ann Crowder had copies of five books that she wrote for sale. They include inspirational poems, short stories, recipes, and a book entitled “Fruit of the Spirit.”
Clyde Jennings had unusual birdhouses at his booth. One of them had an old lantern as a frame. He also had some old lamps.
Susan Otto, Arlene Weathers and Tana Youngblood of Plant City Baptist Church had a booth promoting Operation Christmas Child. The church had an astounding success with last year’s drive, filling more than a thousand shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse. On Saturday, they were selling flavorings in support of this year’s Operation Christmas Child.
Fiber artist Luis Leiva had t-shirts he’d painted colorful designs on, and Tonya Cooley had paintings that told stories about the places she’d been. She had one with bluebonnets from Texas and another of the Tybee Island lighthouse from coastal Georgia. David Crowder had birdhouses and some raised-bed planters.
“There was so much on display here today,” Britt said. “We’re inviting everyone from the local area to come and check out our Saturday markets. There will be something there to please almost everybody. We will have our next market in mid to late July. We will be announcing what day it will be very soon.”
