The sights and sounds of the Travelers Rest Harvest Market
Joshua Boulet, Features and Entertainment Editor
The weather was beautiful, especially with the humid days surrounding the event. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic shook up basically every public event, people have been hard pressed to try and see some return to normalcy.
In a way, the harvest market acted as this. There were social distancing protocols in place, even if some would do better to follow them. Still, most of the vendors were sure to be careful and many wore face masks when moving outside of the socially distanced circles set on the field.
For the rest of October, the Travelers Rest Farmers Market will continue to meet every Thursday night from 5:30-8 p.m.
The parking situation seemed typical at first, but once 6 p.m. came around, the parking lot was absolutely packed and cars started parking on the side of the road; there was hardly space for two cars going opposite directions.
Still, the weather combined with the fall sunset seemed to erase any frustration of finding a parking spot. Further in the park, a well distanced group participated in a distanced yoga session to promote wellness. Nearby as well were more children sledding down grassy hills on cardboard sleds.
A father held his 3-year-old daughter on his shoulder as she giggled and pointed at different people. A younger couple brought their dog who happily sat next to them for the music. Some parents struggled to control their kids but still enjoyed relaxing in the soft sunlight.
The market itself contained a wide variety of baked goods, fresh produce and local craftsmanship.
Ms. Lillian Small sold pies in several flavors, cookies and even face masks. Small started baking at just 15 years old for her family in Louisiana. Initially she had just focused on selling her ingredients and crust mixes since she assumed people would make their own pies.
“Turns out, people are too lazy to do three steps,” she said.
So, she started selling her whole pies at farmers markets. Her signature is the sweet potato pie. An unnamed mentor helped her along the way to grow her business and branch out. Now she sells magnetic bracelets to help with carpal tunnel along with cookies and face masks.
Steven Ried of Edible Roots sold “spreadable edibles,” which are various spreads his grandmother began selling years ago.
Ben Snyder of Lumineux Chocolate started baking his own chocolates as a kid. His business crafts distinct flavors and uses only ethically sourced cocoa beans.
After visiting the stands and talking with the vendors, the people slowly shifted towards the field where Karl Lauber performed alone with his banjo and acoustic guitar. He sang about the Carolinas and nature in his folk-style songs combined with a vocal effects pedal and guitar reverb pedal.
