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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.A free create your own S'mores table was available to community members at the Winter Market at Austintown Park.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Suzanne Rich of Handcrafted by Suzanne sold her jewlery and her daughter Nichole's art on Dec. 14 inside the Stacey Pavillion at Austintown Park.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Elise and Andy Yantes, along with Dylan Gorgi, sold wreaths to benefit the Austintown Robotics Team on Dec. 14 at Austintown Park's Winter Market.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Dana Clark of Wood-N-Wine Design was present at Austintown Park on Dec. 14 for the fifth annual Winter Market.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Felicia Cool from Say It Sassy Personalized Designs was one of over 40 vendors present at the Austintown Farmers Market's annual Winter Market Dec. 14 at Austintown Park.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Community members packed the Stacey Pavillion Dec. 14 for the Austintown Farmers Market's annual Winter Market.
By JESSICA HARKER
Austintown Farmers Market hosted its fifth annual Winter Market on Dec. 14.
Organizer Shannon Lehn said that this is the largest Winter Market to date.
“This is the first one to this scale, with this much community involvement and with this many free activities for the community,” Lehn said. More than 40 vendors were present at the event, positioned both inside the Stacey Pavilion and in a heated tent outside.
The event also provided a number of free activities for children and their families. Free horse-drawn wagon rides and pictures with Santa were available at the event.
Students from Jackson Milton volunteered to assist at the event, helping children create homemade crafts as a gift for their parents.
“It’s essentially so that the kids have something to give their parents on Christmas,” Lehn said.
Lehn said she often experienced how difficult it can be for children to be able to have Christmas presents for their parents, and wanted to provide a solution to the community.
“We have a few examples, and the kids can come in and try to make that, or something totally new,” said volunteer Julia Bogden, a junior at Jackson Milton High School.
Children had a variety of supplies available to use in “Santa’s Workshop” where Bogden said they could be as creative as they like.
“We are just here to help them do what ever they want,” Bogden said.
Along with crafts, community members were able to make their own free s’mores as well as treat themselves to hot chocolate. Lehn said that at the s’mores table donations were being taken to benefit Yellow Brick Place.
The event also had a 50/50 raffle to benefit the market fund.
“There’s nothing like this in Austintown and it’s really great to have something positive here,” Lehn said. “It’s the community. It’s all about the community.”
Students from a number of schools, including Austintown, Jackson Milton, Springfield and more, volunteered to assist at the event.
“We got a lot of community support,” Lehn said. “Not just for Austintown but for all of the surrounding communities, we are not divided by borders.”