Organizers plan Franklin’s own market place
Franklin County residents will soon be have a way to buy and sell handmade items made right here in the area.
The Franklin County Market Place will have its debut on April 2 from 7 a.m. until noon and will feature crafts, artwork, needlework, and homemade food items all made by Franklin County residents.
The event will be held behind the A. W. Todd Centre at the Farmer’s Market location and will work in conjunction with the Farmer’s Market when it re-opens in June.
After April, the Franklin County Market Place will be held on the first Saturday of every month from 7 a.m. until noon and will tentatively last through December.
Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Director Nina McNatt said the Franklin County Market Place will be similar to the First Fridays event in Florence, just on a smaller scale.
“Our residents have their own hidden talents and we want to provide them with a venue to showcase their work,” McNatt said. “Most of these people are only able to sell their homemade items once a year at the Watermelon Festival. This will give them a chance to sell their items more often.”
McNatt said that this will also be a fun activity for families to come to each month.
“People are always saying that there isn’t much to do in Franklin County and this will be a fun event the whole family can enjoy,” she said.
McNatt stressed that anyone is welcome to visit the Market Place but vendors must be Franklin County residents.
“This is not a venue for selling mass-produced items or items that you would sell at a yard sale,” McNatt said. “The Franklin County Market Place will be a venue to sell nice, genuine homemade items like jewelry, pottery, artwork, needlework, quilts and food items.”
McNatt said that she also hopes to have a different demonstration each month that would help residents learn more about specific topics.
“We’d love to have demonstrations on when to plant certain items, tips for gardening and how to can vegetables; just things that people in the county might want to know how to do,” she said.
Vendors must purchase a $20 permit fee and pay a $10 set-up fee each month they participate. Anyone interested in being a vendor at the Franklin County Market Place should visit www.franklincountychamber.org or contact the chamber office at 256-332-1760 to be approved.
