Jessica LinvilleOpen-Air Fall Market Returns for its Third Year
The third annual Minted Vintage Market, an up-scale, open-air market and unofficial autumn kick off, offered “sights, scents, and sounds of fall” to visitors at the Wood County 4-H Campground in Mineral Wells Saturday, Oct. 2.
John and Megan Duncan, Minted Vintage makers, share a mission of creating quality, handmade goods that will offer a lasting and unique impression in clients’ homes. They reuse and salvage where they can, and when they can’t, they strive to waste as little new material as possible. The Market has become a signature event for the couple.
“Year three was our biggest and best yet,” Megan said. “We are just blown away by the support of this community. Our favorite part of this year’s Market, for sure, was seeing so many happy people, enjoying such a beautiful day, while loving on so many of our favorite small shops.
“We couldn’t have been more excited to gather the more than 80 incredibly talented artists, creatives, curators, makers, and pickers who were on display; our vision is to showcase local talent through a diversified group of small businesses,” Megan said. “They worked so hard to prepare for our visitors’ arrival, and it was wonderful to see so many appreciate their passions and abilities. We aim to utilize the most talented makers and artisans in the Mid-Ohio Velley and surrounding areas.”
One vendor said she’s been doing this for 20 years and never sold so much during a one-day event.
Vendors ran the gamut from candle makers to jewelers, with florists, clothing creators, and potters in between – truly something for every customer in attendance. Visitors to the Market could leave their mark by signing a colorful chalk wall and were encouraged to pose with three festive autumn displays and to share photos of their experiences via social media using #mintedvintagemarket2021.
Early-bird tickets were $10 and featured wristbands that allowed holders access to the Market at 9 a.m. with special discounts and gifts from more than 30 vendors. General admission tickets were $5 and available online and at the gate; children 12 and under were admitted free of charge. The Market opened to the public at 10 a.m. and closed at 4 p.m.
“It was a mad rush in the morning. A couple vendors, including Ruth’s Big Apples, sold out within the first hour! Many of our vendors told us they had a record sales day, and one vendor said she’s been doing this for 20 years and never sold so much during a one-day event,” Megan said.
Betsy Metz of Cedar Run Farm Maple Syrup said this year’s Market was, in a word, perfect. “Everything! The weather, the vendors, the food, the music, the venue – the Duncans and crew are the best!” Metz said. “They are so organized and think of every detail. Cedar Run Farm loves being there and absolutely will continue to take part in this event in the future.”
The 2020 Minted Vintage Market featured safety protocols necessitated by the COVID pandemic, like additional space between vendors, and the Duncans considered customers’ wellbeing a top priority. “The 4H Camp made many improvements to the grounds including adding a covered area behind the barn, so we kept the more spread out layout we used last year as well as the hand-washing and sanitizer stations; those were positive take-aways or additions to the Market,” Megan said. “We also added extra restrooms to eliminate long lines and encouraged masks and social distancing.”
It was the perfect fall day with a fabulous turnout to support the many local artisans.
The 2021 Market marked the return of food trucks, and Shannon Hartshorn of DiCarlo’s Original Pizza said the gorgeous Saturday was a welcome opportunity to meet new people. “From a vendor perspective, it was the perfect fall day with a fabulous turnout to support the many local artisans,” Hartshorn said. “The crowd came hungry, too, with the majority in search of our pepperoni rolls and subs. We love feeding the community at events like these and expanding our customer base.”
Other participating food trucks included The Bodega, Granny Mae’s, Jimmy Avocado’s, Timmy’s Original Food Truck, and Walking Waffle. Additionally, many vendors again offered yummy snacks and refreshing drinks; available foods and beverages included caramel apples, caramel corn, cotton candy, freshly baked bread, local honey, roasted almonds and pecans, iced cookies, ice cream, pretzels, smoothies, and homemade salsa with bagged organic tortilla chips.
Jennifer Wright, owner of The Bodega, labeled this year’s Market the best yet. “What an amazing day,” she said. “John and Megan always put on such a good show!
“We were slinging lots of coffee beans, which means there were so many kind, supportive people showing up,” Wright said. “Experiencing what we have during these past 18 months, maybe it just means even more to get to be together and to rally for each other. There are so many awesome vendors who now have become friends, and it’s really just a special space. We loved getting to be a part of the day and are grateful to everyone who made it possible.”
We have such an incredible community and cannot say ‘thank you’ enough.
Live entertainment also returned to the 2021 Market, with performances by Kendall Ferrebee, Jake B. Eddy and band, and the Laurel Creek Band. Music also was provided by local DJ Dan Lyons.
“We loved being able to have food trucks and live music back this year,” Megan said. “Those allow us to provide the full Market experience! We also added a kids’ area for young Market goers to play during breaks from shopping. We had pumpkin games like ring toss and tic tac toe next to the changing station tent available to moms and dads.
“What JOY it was to see so much happiness Saturday,” Megan said. “We have such an incredible community and cannot say ‘thank you’ enough. We already are looking forward to and planning next year.”