Successful first Shenandoah Marketplace

Flush with the success of their first scheduled event, June 11, the Shenandoah Marketplace is eagerly preparing for the July 2 market at historic Stevens Cottage in Shenandoah.

Scheduled for the first Thursday of the month, the Marketplace had to reschedule its June 4 opening because of rain. The rain date, the second Thursday of the month, tested the mettle of vendors and customers as well as the temperature reached into the 90s. Shenandoah Marketplace is a grassroots effort to provide residents access to fresh local meats, produce and locally produced goods, including art, wool, and hand-made basketry.

A second and equal goal according to the group’s president Nancy Boyer is to bring the community together.

“We want this to be a place where our neighbors can meet and visit with each other, as well as providing high quality local products that keep money in the community while providing fresh and original products to our visitors,” she said.

Shenandoah photographer Craig Lancto, who sells products made with images he has photographed added, “I am happy to come and just to meet and talk with some of my neighbors. I enjoy showing my pictures–mostly shot within a half-mile of Stevens Cottage–and selling prints and cards certainly made the first day more enjoyable for me.”

Another vendor, a veteran of numerous local farmers markets, said that she was surprised and delighted that she sold more products than she sometimes does at the larger and more established Farmers Market in Luray.

Vendors who have committed to participating in Shenandoah Marketplace’s inaugural year include:

• Artistic Renderings by Brenda (Borus) with prints of hand- painted artwork of scenes around the Shenandoah, Virginia, area, portraits of human and pet subjects and handcrafted wooden offerings from John Borus.
• Shenandoah’s Beedance Cottage with handcrafted fibers and flavors, such as strawberry preserves and other fine jams and jellies.
• Luray’s Dancing Cow Farm with fresh hormone and antibiotic free, farm-raised beef and pork.
• Shenandoah’s Dwight Kite with fresh garden produce
• Images of Shenandoah with wall canvases, giclée prints, and greeting/postcards with images of Shenandoah, and an illustrated guide to Shenandoah and environs
• Luray’s Patchwork Pastures with lamb pelts, wool, lamb meat and fresh eggs
• Sperryville’s Triple Oak Bakery, with artisan gluten-free baked goods