Upcoming Mystical March Market at the Collegedale Commons

Elsie Pak Collegedale News Editor

Alana Crosby

Editor-in-Chief

The Mystical March Market is scheduled to take place on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Commons in Collegedale. This event is part of the monthly market series hosted by The Commons and organized by Shop the Market At, specifically organizers and market managers Robert Davis and Russell Walsh.

The monthly market series, started by Davis and Walsh on Signal Mountain, is a high-quality arts, crafts and farmer’s market, according to Jeneva Steffes, events manager at The Commons. The market usually hosts between 80 to 110 vendors, according to Davis and Walsh. The founders hold the market on Signal Mountain every first Saturday of the month, while the Collegedale branch will be held on the second Saturday of each month.

“[The market] is a selective craft and farmer’s market, and the vendors are hand selected,” Steffes said in an interview with the Accent. “So, the products that are being sold are quality. They're not anything that you're gonna find at any old market. All the vendors have very nice products. And that's the kind of market that they're trying to uphold, just a very classy market with products that people want and are good quality.”

In an email to the Accent, Davis and Walsh wrote that the entertainment and food often revolve around the specific theme of the market.

“Most vendors try to bring products that are related to the theme of that specific market,” Davis and Walsh wrote.

“However, there will be a wide array of products and food.”

If the markets go well, The Commons hopes to host the series again next year, according to Steffes. She said The Commons hosted their own market last year but decided that it was best to let an outside party run markets in the future.

“[Shop the Market At’s] goal is to enrich the community through art, craft and food. We also hope to help to sustain farming communities by giving them a place to sell produce,” Davis and Walsh wrote.

“The purpose is to help grow the community in a positive way and to give back to the community by securing sponsorships for the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation.”

In an email to the Accent, Collegedale Commissioner Tonya Sadler said the market she most looks forward to is Christkindlmarkt in November. In the email, Sadler wrote about why she believes having the markets at The Commons is important.

“Above The Commons pavilion is the quote: ‘For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.’ I think that sums up why it’s important for us to host these public markets for our community,” Sadler stated.

“The Commons was built not only with donations but also with our tax dollars. While the operations of events at the Commons are operated by the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation, it is very important to me as a commissioner and as a citizen to see that our cityowned structures are being enjoyed by our citizens just as frequently as they are being rented out for private events.”