- The Verona Vineyards Farmers & Artisan Market was launched in 2023 by candle maker Alison Gambrel.
- Vendors like Luci Slawnyk’s romance and fantasy mobile bookstore and Tammy Jewell’s bead-adorned crochet animals add creativity and variety.
- Held twice a month from May through September (plus a holiday market), the market has over 30 vendors with a variety of offerings.
The Verona Vineyards Farmers & Artisan Market was established in 2023 and has been providing a home for makers and growers ever since.
Event coordinator Alison Gambrel started the market. A candelmaker herself, she is involved with the farmers and artisans market scene locally.
Gambrel said that before COVID, Verona Vineyards used to have something similar, and when she was looking for a venue, she found it to be just the right location.
“I was looking for something that was right in the middle of everything,” said Gembrel. “Verona Vineyards is the perfect venue because you’re in the country, you’re off the beaten path, but you’re not too far out.”
She said she lives just six miles from the vineyard and “I just walked in and said, ‘Hey do you want to have a market?’ And then one thing led to another.”
The market is held on the first and third Sunday of the month from May through September. There are also spring, summer and fall craft shows, plus Christmas markets held during the holiday season. Gambrel said they get around 500-600 visitors to each market.
While it is not a paid position, she organizes the events and ensures all goes smoothly.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a hobby, but it’s enough to drive me nuts,” said Gambrel.
Right now, Gambrel said there are 32 vendors at the market, ranging from candles to quilts to honey, hot sauce, fresh vegetables and more. She mentioned that they have vendors who travel to the market, like their maple syrup and popcorn vendors, who come down from Indianapolis.
“There’s a little bit of everything,” said Gambrel. “I try to bring something different to each one.”
During the Aug. 3 market, Gambrel had Luci Slawnyk and her Wanderlust Book Bazaar, a romance and fantasy-focused mobile bookstore for Slawnyk’s first official event.
“She really brought people in,” Gambrel told LINK. “She was new and everybody flocked to her.”
For her part, Slawnyk, who returned for the Aug. 17 market, said she was surprised and humbled by how supported she’s felt.
“I mean, people are kind of just showing up to these events,” Slawnyk said. “People who are not even readers, they think it’s cool, and they want to see it. It’s kinda of a bit of a spectacle.”
Another unique vendor, Tammy Jewell, owner of Granny Grunt Designs, has been with the Verona Vineyards Farmers & Artisan Market from the start.
Jewell makes crochet stuffed animals that are often adorned with beads.
She had been crocheting for 40 years, originally making sweaters, caps and blankets. Then, during COVID, Jewell said she was trying to work from home and raise her granddaughter, but due to a disability, she quit her job and started crocheting a lot more.
Eventually, blankets started to get boring, and she was looking for something new.
“Somebody said, ‘Have you thought about doing animals?’” said Jewell. “And I said, ‘No, but I love kids, and I like to see them smile,’ And I love it. It’s so fun making all of the different crocheted animals.”
She said she enjoys making all types of animals, from hedgehogs to octopi. She finds her patterns on Etsy mostly, and she picks what she makes based on what strikes her in the moment.
“I’m just a kid at heart, 63 years old, and I’m still a kid at heart,” said Jewell. “And if it tickles my fancy, I make it.”
While she buys the patterns, she said she almost always tweaks them, one of the things she almost always adds are beads. By adding the beads, Jewell said it makes her stuffed animals into sensory/fidget toys.
“So not only are you giving something that makes them smile, you’re going to give them something that calms their anxiety, maybe makes them sit for a couple of minutes,” said Jewell.
After just making her toys on her own for a while, Jewell was looking for a way to start selling them. “I decided I had a whole lot of buildup of things. Now, I thought, ‘What am I going to do with them?’”
She got connected with Gambrel and began selling from there. Jewell said that if she’s doing a market other than the Verona market, it’s because Gambrel is coordinating.
“She always treats everybody fairly,” Jewell said. “She always tries to make sure that we are all going to be able to make money.”
Jewell said the Verona Vineyards Farmers & Artisan Market offers a great community of people who look out for each other and just create for the love of it.
“People just need to know that this is a labor of love,” said Jewell. “This is our heart’s blood. You know, it’s not like buying a stuffed animal in the store that came from China that was made for two or three dollars and then sold for 20. You know, we put our hearts and souls into what we do out there.”
Verona Vineyards Farmers & Artisan Market is located at 13815 Walton-Verona Road in Verona. The next event is set for Sept. 7. Find more information on their Facebook page.
