Creating a Market:
A Vision of What's to Come at the
West Annapolis 2nd Sunday Neighborhood Green Market
One of my favorite things to do when I'm travelling is to find the local farmer's market. It's a great way to get the "flavor" of an area and meet the people and have a genuine experience of a place. Each one has its own individual character, and some of my favorites are the ones that offer a mix of vendors and merchandise.
So when the opportunity to be a part of creating a monthly Neighborhood Green Market in West Annapolis came along, I drew upon some of the most successful markets in the country.
One of those is the Fremont Sunday Market in the Seattle area www.fremontmarket.com, that's been going strong for almost 20 years - long enough to attract the attention of a major magazine (like Country Living if I recall), which is how I discovered it some 10 years ago. More than a traditional farmer's market, the Fremont Sunday Market is a mix of produce, plants, food vendors (both producers and ready-to-eat), along with antiques & vintage goods and craft.
The mix feels natural, as if these things have always stood side by side, and when you think about the origin of markets - centers for commerce and exchange of all the goods people needed for their lives - there is indeed a centuries-old tradition.
Markets provide the opportunity to meet and interact with the "producer" of the item you purchase. Several years ago I met Leah who created Smart Monkey - Refurbished Yarn & Knitwear (read more about her at www.smartmonkey.etsy.com). I have told almost everyone I know about what she's doing, so I was thrilled to see her at the Market this time.
Leah purchases sweaters at thrift stores, deconstructs and washes them, and then sells the
fibers to use for creating new garments. It is her personal effort to save the planet, one garment at a time.
Leah is not alone in her endeavors. Amy Gibson and Andrea Read (www.colorstorydesigns.etsy.com) are a pair of crafters who are putting together some original, creative designs using recycled magazines. My photo doesn't do their work justice so please do check out their site to see their great work.
And if you wanted flowers, they were there. Along with a band and plenty of people with dogs, and famlies with children happily in tow. It was clear that both vendors and attendees were "regulars", and that there were relationships and friendships that had formed between them at the Market.
You never know what you might find - a coffee table, a baby gift, the perfect thing for dinner, a magazine from the year you were born.
Or you might pick up something from Carol Kiyan of Running Dog Designs. Her recycled bags, wallets and jewelry incorporate found objects - gameboard pieces, sewing patterns, record albums - with recycled materials to create hip, stylish and green accessories. If only I could convince her to come to Annapolis to set up!
And between visiting with vendors, customers stopped into the local shops to see what was new or just to say hello to a shopkeeper whose acquaintance they had made by coming to the Market.
It is a great way to spend a morning, or a day, for everyone. Markets are a vital part of local economies in many communities; the Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org/markets) offers a wealth of information about the benefits of markets to every part of a community.
We invite you to Come Grow With Us at the West Annapolis 2nd Sunday Neighborhood Green Market, beginning Sunday, June 14. We will be creating a pedestrian walkway on Giddings Avenue between Ridgely Avenue and Annapolis Street. And we will keep updating this site with information about our vendors. If you are a grower, craft or antiques vendor who is interested in participating, email us at westannapolisgreenmarket@gmail.com or call 410-810-4898 for more information. And if you'd like to be on our email list for updates, that's the email to use as well. We look forward to seeing you June 14!
