Kid’s Marketplace a huge success

Published 2:29 pm Thursday, May 13, 2021

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As a feature of May’s Second Saturday, the City hosted a Kid’s Marketplace, where young entrepreneurs could sell their homemade goods, ranging from cookies and lemonade to jewelry and crafts.

The Marketplace boasted 16 different booths, according to Special Events Coordinator Randee Eubanks.

“We were very excited with the turnout, especially for the first year,” she said. “It was a great mix of creativity.”

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Eubanks was so thrilled; she believes this marketplace will now be a twice a year feature.

The announcement of possibly returning was exciting to the young entrepreneurs, one of which was Turtle Pond Lemonade.

According to mom, Nikki Rich, her daughter, along with friends, sets up the stand every year in the neighborhood, but saw this as an opportunity to share their lemonade and cookies with everyone.

“We loved having the kids involved in everything that was happening downtown,” Rich said. “We had a great crowd, we even sold out of regular lemonade.”

Kenny Moye’s cement crafts also sold out and he now has to make more cement products for customers in waiting.

Moye said he started making the cement crafts earlier this year after he got the idea in his head.

On Saturday, he sold 26 various cement crafts. The money he raised from his booth is being put toward his band trip to San Antonio.

Moye hopes this is something the City will do again, so he can continue to fund his trip.

Kenley Harrell was also in attendance and selling her handmade jewelry. Harrell has been hand making the jewelry since February, when they first announced the Marketplace. While working toward filling her booth, Harrell has also made custom beaded bracelets she sold and donated the earnings toward Amelia McCullough’s medical bills.

Eubanks was impressed with Harrell’s jewelry, along with Anniston Brown’s handmade jewelry.

With the success of this past weekend, Eubanks is looking forward to next month’s Second Saturday, which she said will be a Sip and Shop.

She also encourages everyone to attend the grand opening of the Hook and Ladder this weekend, which will also serve as downtown block party, complete with drinks.