Corey Shields“A fresh start.” That’s how Marvin Edwards, the new owner of Point Park Marketplace, is describing his venture with the large building just inside of the flood wall in downtown Parkersburg.
Food, drinks, trinkets and other homemade goods are always available and on display. The marketplace finally feels like a place for the community to come together. Sometimes downtown Parkersburg can feel a bit lifeless after 5 p.m., but Marvin is working to change that. Families can easily spend an entire evening in the building. The kids can have pizza and ice cream as mom and dad share a bottle of wine, all while being entertained by a live performance. Marvin says they are working on having as many events as possible, to encourage the community to come out and give Parkersburg a sense of liveliness again.
With a new owner comes new business hours. The marketplace is now open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. Need a break from your workday? Spend your lunch hour at the Point and enjoy a sandwich on the deck. Meet up with friends for a drink in the evening, or pick up some fresh veggies on your way home. The environment is warm and welcoming, and will hopefully bring a spark to the community.
Marvin is quickly adding new vendors over the coming months, with three already confirmed. Timely Brew Coffee, Foggy Dale Farms, and 77 Farmers Market will be up and running soon, helping to grow the market and its variety of merchandise.
Clutch MOV recently held an event at Point Park Marketplace, and we all had a great time. The vendors were kind, the atmosphere was warm, and the sangria was delicious! Anyone looking for a place to hold an event or performance should look in to the marketplace. Just in the past few weeks, there have been concerts and social mixers, along with many different classes. Yoga, painting, pottery – if there is an art you’re interested in learning, chances are it is being taught at the marketplace.
At 27, downtown Parkersburg has been slow to grow over my entire lifetime. It’s always felt like a place where people go to work, and immediately leave. Pull in at 9, eat lunch at your desk, leave at 4:59. Point Park Marketplace could change that. No more wasting an evening walking around the mall on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The marketplace could become a destination for people from Parkersburg, and the surrounding areas. But this can only happen if we have to support it. Encourage your friends, bring your family. Have dinner, buy some fresh produce. Instead of heading to a restaurant with a loud bar for one $10 glass of generic wine, split a bottle of the good stuff with your friends at Point Park Marketplace. Enjoy a beautiful evening on the river and some delicious ice cream.
We finally have a chance for Parkerburg to have its own bustling marketplace. There are plenty of reasons to support any local business in any town, and we at Clutch MOV always want you to shop local, but this one is special. Point Place Marketplace is a real chance for Parkersburg, and if it succeeds, who knows what could happen downtown in the future.