taste OF LOCAL EVENTS
Hilton Head Community Market Local Food. Local Goods. Local Friends. BY ALLYSON JONES
Founded four years ago by four local small business owners who wanted to create a weekend market catering to Island residents, the Hilton Head Community Market now takes place every Saturday in Shelter Cove Park from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Colleen Laux of Cottonwood Soap Company, Kathy Oda of Purely Inc. and KODA Glass, Susannah Winters of Hilton Head Coffee Roasters and Andrea Smith of 7th & Palm combined their extensive business acumen to make the market a reality in September of 2022. “We wanted a market that working families could attend,” explains Laux. “At the time, the only other weekend farmers markets were held in Port Royal or Savannah, both of which are quite a drive for those who live in Hilton Head and Bluffton. The market is food focused and also features other local artisans who sell their handcrafted wares.” Featuring between 25-30 vendors each week at this outdoor market on the banks of Broad Creek, offerings include produce, fresh fish and shrimp, baked goods, coffee, honey and other foods, as well as dog treats, jewelry, candles, soap, 32
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stationery and other locally handmade items. “We tend to have the same core group of vendors each week,” notes Laux. “Currently, we are not accepting any new non-food vendors, but are always on the lookout for new and unique food items.” “From our inception, giving back to the community has been one of our core values,” she adds. “Thus, each year we select 11 non-profit organizations to be featured at our market. During an organization’s featured month, they are given a free 10’ x 10’ booth space to man where they can share their message/ mission with local community and visitors to the market.” In addition to a free booth, half of the vendor fees collected each month are donated to the selected organization. “While we guarantee a minimum donation of $700, generally the donation amounts have been a $1,000 each month,” says Laux. “To date, we have donated over $38,000 to local nonprofits.” In June, the featured non-profit is Neighborhood Outreach Connection, whose mission is to “enhance the quality
of life of those living in poverty by empowering them to achieve economic independence, personal fulfillment, and self-reliance.” Meals on Wheels, with their mission “to deliver nutritious meals and reduce isolation for elderly, ill, disabled, and homebound individuals in Bluffton and Hilton Head, on a temporary or long-term basis” will be showcased in July. Full Spectrum Studio, created “to bring artists with disabilities fully into the art community as peers and colleagues,” is the only non-profit which is featured annually at the Hilton Head Community Market with their work highlighted in August. “This is because not only are they are a great local organization, but they have also been one of our regular weekly vendors since our inception,” Laux notes. Plans are not yet confirmed for the special Fourth of July market – the holiday falls on Saturday this year – but previous special markets such as St. Patrick’s Day and Small Business Saturday have included live music and even a visit from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. “We are quite happy with the success