MARKET MUSINGS

June 24, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Jan Freedman

We had the most gorgeous, warm, sunny weather this past Saturday at the Farmers’ Market for our annual Strawberry Festival.
There were beautiful, fresh strawberries everywhere, strawberry smoothies and even a strawberry pizza finished with a balsamic glaze.
Now that we’re well into June, the salad greens have arrived in many varieties, along with peas and young garlic. Every week we will see more local produce arriving at the Market, so even if you’re heading to the cottage, plan to come by the Market to stock up for your weekend needs.
Now I’d like to introduce you to our youngest vendor.
Her name is Avery Benlolo and she is 12 years old. This young entrepreneur has started her own business which she calls Sweet Scrubs N’ Stuff, which features products that moisturize and exfoliate your skin.
Avery lives in Aurora with her two older sisters and her parents.
She attends The Country Day School in King. Avery says that her business began partly because she had a lot of free time and partly because she had noticed that her hands and skin seemed to be dry and itchy. She began by searching for recipes online and, after much searching, found a few she wished to try.
After experimenting and some trial and error, she found some that really worked for both herself and her family.
She was so pleased with the products that she began to think of trying to sell them, but wasn’t sure where. She looked for fairs, events or markets but nothing seemed to be the right fit for her. She was disheartened, but her family rallied to support her and offered to help her find the appropriate venue.
Throughout her journey to create a business, Avery’s family has been both motivating and supportive. After considerable thought, they decided to submit an application to the Aurora Farmers’ Market and Artisan Fair where they were frequent visitors.
The Market Committee was so impressed with her drive and entrepreneurial spirit and she was accepted to be part of the 2015 outdoor season.
She has been at the Market only a few times as her summer involves also going to camp, but she loves being a part of the Market and has already developed a loyal following. She says that she is so grateful to have the opportunity and support to do something she loves.
She will be back at the Market on August 29th. Please drop by her booth in the park to try some of her wonderful products. She is a truly inspiring young person!
Our next Special Event takes place on July 4 and is our Art in the Park day together with Kerry’s Place Appreciation Day. Artist Deborah Campo co-ordinates this event for us, as she has done for several years. This year’s title for the musical entertainment is “Porcupine Prince’s Parade Tour”.
The musicians who will be performing include Rudy and Andrew Veltri with country classics, the Market’s own Aaron Morris and Pau Mason with reggae, father and son Bruce and Kieran Williams and Patty McLaughin and the Song Circle Musicians. There will also be a performance by “Magic Duda”, Corey Clarke, a magician.
At press time, Deborah had received confirmation that there will be 17 artists showing their work in the park, but there may be a few more. The Kerry’s Place portion of the event is co-ordinated by them and always has several exciting events planned for the day. All I know at this time is that there will be some new activities this year and it will be a fun-filled day.
See you at the Market!