UPDATE – Strong storms forecast for Friday evening has forced the cancellation of the opening of the Market. Click here for details.
What do radishes, lettuce, pies, donuts, honey, homemade noodles, fry pies, vegetable bedding plants, flowers, lawn furniture, and statuary have in common? All of those items and more are expected to be a part of the Downtown Marion Market. The Market is set to kick off this Friday, May 10, 2013 and run nearly every Friday through October 11, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
“In response to a number of requests,” said Karen Herr, manager of Downtown Marion, “Downtown Marion created a weekly event that ran for 9 weeks last year and featured items that were handmade, homemade, homegrown or remade – such as eco-art. The response was great and we began getting requests in January to get the Market up and running much earlier this year. We chose May 10 so that those with flowers and bedding plants could be there for that key month of May.”
In what is described as an open air market atmosphere, vendors will set up on the sidewalks of West Center Street across from the Marion County Courthouse.
“We plan to fill the sidewalks with a variety of baked goods, fruits, vegetables, breads, crafts, handmade treasures and more,” said Herr. “By setting up on the sidewalks, we’ll be leaving plenty of parking spaces on the street open for those coming to the Downtown Market.”
Organizers will still take signups for vendor space, and anyone interested can contact Herr at 740-382-2181 or via e-mail at [email protected].
“You can sign up for a night, a month, or the entire 22 weeks,” said Herr. “It’s a great way for small enterprises to make money.”
Senior Voucher Program. Herr also indicated that the Downtown Marion Market had been awarded a small grant from the Marion County Council on Aging. These grant monies will be used to provide low-income seniors vouchers for food items purchased at the Market. Seniors interested should apply at the Downtown Marion table on the corner of Main & Center Streets.
“We are excited about this opportunity,” said Herr, “to provide Marion’s low-income seniors with the opportunity to add fresh fruits and vegetables to their diet.”
Pickin’ on the Porch. Herr also indicated that on June 7, July 5, August 2, and October 4, Charleston Plan will host Pickin’ on the Porch. This one-a-month Friday event will also run from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, and each month will feature a different type of music playing from the porch area of Charleston Place, 187 West Center Street. June will feature Southern Gospel groups such as Grail.
Home-based businesses such as Avon, Mary Kay, Advocare, etc., will also be able to set up on the sidewalks in this area. Those interested may contact Nadine for information at 740-387-7790.
Downtown Marion, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is the revitalization of Downtown Marion as a vibrant central hub for the Marion community.
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