First Grant County Community Market to be June 10

Nothing says “summer” quite like a festive outdoor community market, and the folks at the Grant County Extension Office’s 4-H program have spent the past couple of weeks planning an ambitious one. The first Grant County Community Market will take place at the fairgrounds at 115 Baton Rouge Rd., Williamstown on Saturday, June 10.

Karley Luber, the Extension Office’s 4-H youth development assistant, said the idea for the market is the brain child of her and Michelle Jenkins, the Extension’s agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer science, and 4-H youth development assistant.

“Me and Michelle walk the fairgrounds for fitness and thought ‘Wow! This is a big old space,’ ” Luber said.

A nanosecond later, the pair began plotting an animal swap, envisioning farmers pulling up with trucks of chicks, turkey eggs, pigs, and herding dogs to sell or trade.

Only it didn’t turn out to be an animal swap. The interest didn’t seem to be there, only one person wanted to participate.

That didn’t stop Luber and Jenkins. Bubbling with enthusiasm, Luber said, “We don’t know what we’re doing, but I can plan stuff!”

After passing out fliers and going out into the community to get feedback, Luber said a different event began to take shape.

The first market promises live music, a “touch-a-truck” opportunity featuring vintage vehicles and a variety of food trucks and community vendors.

Already, 15 vendors have signed on for the June 10 market with five more showing interest. A Grant County Community Market Facebook page has been created to provide more information and to spotlight individual vendors, a new one featured each day.

The page first featured The Blue Water Slime Shoppe, created by a 9-year-old Williamstown entrepreneur selling homemade slime. Luber said that as soon as his mom got wind of the upcoming market, she reached out and asked if he could be a vendor.

Acknowledging that there is a Grant County’s farmer’s market offering great produce as well as a small animal swap in Crittenden, Luber was quick to say the point of the market is not “to step on toes.”

“We take in what they don’t want, but what the community does want,” Luber said.

Whereas the farmer’s market has strict rules and is open to only Grant County producers, the Grant County Community Market will allow vendors from outside the county. The goal is to provide Kentucky Proud vendors a venue while offering the community something new.

For now, the market is planned as a monthly event, beginning in late spring and running into the fall. Vendor spaces cost $10 and are free for nonprofits. Any money made from the sale of vendor spots or donations will go to whichever group helps with the market that day.

For the June 10 market, the Extension Office crew will be assisted by youth from the Grant County Agriculture/FFA program.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor or would like information on the community market, contact Karley or Michelle at 859-824-3355.