Winter Farmers Market Returns
“The Holiday Market at Lock 3” sponsored by the Downtown Akron Partnership triples in size this weekend, with one-of-a-kind specialty food items and home-made baked goods for sale during the 4th Annual Winter Farmers Market in the basement of the old O’Neil’s Department Store building.
Fourteen growers and craft-food makers will join the ten other merchants who have been selling hand-made items from Lock 3's Chriskindl cottages during this holiday season. An additional six craft booths plus the American Toy Marble Museum store at the Akron History Exhibit at Lock 3 will bring the total number of vendors to 31 this Saturday December 11, 11am - 5pm and Sunday, December 12, from 12pm - 4pm.
“Everybody loves a farmers market,” says Dave Lieberth, Akron’s Deputy Mayor. “We’ve invited our fresh-food vendors from the summer to come back to Lock 3 this weekend to offer gifts and holiday items that will fit those people who are especially hard to buy for.”
Included in the Winter Farmers Market this weekend are these food vendors:
* All About Herbs: Herb packets, soup and bread mixes
* Aunt Pat's Inc.: Canned peppers, homemade fudge and holiday gifts
* Becker's Cottage Garden Herb Farm: Honey, jelly, herb vinegar, plants and soap
* Big Fat Greek & Italian Pastries: Baklava and other Italian and Greek pastries
* Crave: Specialty BBQ sauce, hot sauce and Caeser dressing
* Mother's Mae Chocolates: Homemade chocolate candies and other chocolate desserts
* Don & Mary Crafts: Winter produce, wood toys and games, knitted and crocheted items
* Hattie’s Café: Canned food items and gift baskets
* Manda's Plant Farm: Succulent garden plants, Concrete leaf castings
* Mark Johnson Honey: Healthy local honey as well as a homemade beehive
* McCoy's Custom Catering: Homemade guacamole, tabbouleh, hummas, salsa, pesto
* Posh Pierogies: Creative, homemade pierogies, breads and soups
* TreeHouse Organics: Homemade preserves, honey, pasta sauces, salad dressings and maple syrup
* Magic Pepper Company: Canned peppers
These vendors are in addition to the two bakers in the Chriskindl Cottages on Garden Alley: Highland Baking, which provides authentic Scottish shortbread; and Homemade Delites, featuring their famous oatmeal-raisin-walnut cookies.
Craft vendors setting up this weekend include:
* Amy's Aromatherapy: All natural, homemade bath and body products and home fragrances
* Designs by Kathryn: Handmade greeting cards, t-shirts and screenprinted pieces
* Gift Gallery By Weaver Industries & Summit DD: Handmade ceramics
* Hawaii O Designs: Ohio themed t-shirts, jewelry and small acrylic paintings
* Irish Potters Wheel: Homemade mugs, plates, bowls and other pottery pieces
* Reflections by MJ: Window decor, jewelry and suncatchers
* Rinaldi Party Hats: Homemade party hats, postcards, bracelets, magnets and carvings
* Welcome to Monster Island: Monsters made from recycled materials and frog toys
These vendors are in addition to the artisans in the Chriskindl cottages: German glassblower Mario Hausdorfer from the Erzegeberge Mountains in Germany; Enrico Bellin of IMEXTA Saxon Crafts from Akron’s sister city of Chemnitz; and the Kuhnert Company of Germany.
Local vendors in the Chriskindl Cottages include:
* LitWick Candle: High quality, hand poured candles available in a variety of fragrances.
* The Fig Tree: Handcrafted vintage pillow, hand-woven Turkish rugs and handmade jewelry.
* Pushing Tin Studio: Unique ornaments and jewelry item.
* TinderCraft Ceramics: One of a kind handmade sculptures and ceramic items.
The Akron Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau’s “Everything Akron” and DAP store inside the Lock 3 concession area has gifts that are branded with the “Akron,” name; and the American Toy & Marble Museum has a gift shop with marbles, marble jewelry, books and DVD’s of Akron history.
The O’Neil’s basement area can be accessed directly from the elevator lobby of the State Street parking deck or the Grotto area of Lock 3.
The Winters Farmers Market is part of Holidayfest at Lock 3, 200 South Main Street in Downtown Akron. Holidayfest includes Ohio’s largest outdoor ice skating rink, The Chowder House Café at Lock 3 featuring Akron’s own Thirsty Dog brews, the Gingerbread House - also in the O’Neil’s basement - with a thousand pieces of art related to gingerbread items, and the Magical Train which takes passengers on a ride along the canal towpath and Lock 4. Akron’s Holiday Trolleys are also in service offering free rides around downtown during Holidayfest.
Holidayfest is produced by the City of Akron, and admission is always free. The presenting sponsor of Holidayfest is FirstMerit Bank. For more information, including hours, directions and parking information, visit www.lock3live.com or call 330.375.2877.
LOCK 3 THIS WEEKEND
Go to www.lock3live.com
Ice Skating - Free admission, skate rental $3, for children $2.
Thursday: 11am -9pm
Friday: 11am - 11pm
Saturday: 11am - 11pm
Sunday: 12pm - 6pm
Chowder House Café featuring Thirsty Dog’s 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale and new Lock 3 Lager
Open during Ice Skating
Kinderzone- Make and Take Crafts for kids - Gingerbread man decorating
Friday: 6pm - 8pm
Saturday: 2pm - 4pm, 6pm - 8pm
Sunday: 2pm - 4pm
The Chriskindl Cottages at Lock 3:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 11am -9pm
Sunday: 12 -6pm
