The Loveliest Village Holiday Market was held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3 after being delayed by one day due to weather. The Downtown Auburn event hosted over 40 vendors at the Gay Street parking lot where homemade gifts, baked goods, local art and more were sold.
Downtown Auburn also hosted pictures with Santa Claus and a Christmas parade on Sunday, making the curated market one of several holiday events.
Meg Goodman, owner of jewelry business Beaded by Meg, attended the holiday market as a vendor. This was Goodman’s first year as a vendor at the event.
Beaded by Meg is a predominantly online business specializing in stylish, yet affordable, handmade jewelry.
At the Loveliest Village Holiday Market, Goodman was able to interact with people already familiar with her business while also gaining the interest of new customers.
Alongside gaining positive exposure for her business, Goodman recognized how the holiday market benefitted the Auburn community.
“I definitely think it has a positive impact,” said Goodman. “The fact that people can get out, walk around. And they're doing something a little bit different than football game stuff.”
Amanda Hamrick, the owner of regenerative fashion business AMANDA, was also a first-time vendor at the Loveliest Village Holiday Market.
AMANDA is an eco-friendly business that sells fashion garments and accessories.
Hamrick’s business incorporates the use of naturally dyed fabric through the utilization of botanical dyes.
For Hamrick, the holiday market was an opportunity for the Auburn community to be exposed to local businesses.
“There's a lot of artisans here,” Hamrick said. “I think that it influences people to buy local and that's really important for the community.”
Despite the weather delay, the Loveliest Village Holiday Market brought the Auburn community together to enjoy a day of shopping and live music while simultaneously supporting local businesses.
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Kayleigh Freeman, freshman in journalism, is a news writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
