Luci Rowe was at Riverwalk bright and early Saturday, intent on resuming her weekly routine of shopping at the Augusta Market for chocolate éclairs, pralines, Scentsy wax home fragrances and freshly made lemonade.
“You don’t know how much I’ve missed it,” said Rowe, who was among the shoppers at the market, located at the Eighth Street Plaza at Riverwalk, which opened March 20 for the first time since 2019.
The pandemic had shuttered the outdoor market for all of 2020. Typically, it’s open from the third Saturday of March until the third Saturday of November, according to Brooke Buxton, the Saturday Market director.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Buxton about the opening.
Buxton thanked the Augusta-Richmond County Commissioners and Sean Frantom specifically for voting in February to allow the market to take place. A ban on events at public places had been in effect.
The event reopened but with safety measures in place. Only about 50 vendors set up shop. That’s about 75 percent capacity for a typical opening day. There was social distancing between tents. Food vendors were asked to take orders and have customers come back later to reduce lines and crowds, Buxton said.
Vendors sell a variety of products at the market including baked goods, produce, jewelry, pet items and Tupperware.
It was Jeremy Miller’s first Saturday market with Haute Doughnuts.
Haute Doughnuts are vegan sweets. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett
He brought 200 of his specialty vegan doughnuts to Riverwalk, and within about 90 minutes, he was sold out of his key lime, blueberry cake doughnuts, midnight churros, cinnamon rolls and apple fritters.
Miller said he and his wife are trying to build up a following before opening their own doughnut shop.
“We do have our doughnuts at Rooted Coffee House and Ubora,” he said.
While Miller’s doughnuts were the new addition to the Augusta Market, many of the vendors have been mainstays.
Vickie Richeson of Dixie Dawgs Gourmet Delites Pet Treats was grateful for the market’s return.
“Last year wiped me out,” said Richeson, who has sold her dog and cat treats at the market for eight years. “Ninety-nine percent of my business comes from the market.”
Economics aside, Richeson said she was grateful for the interaction with people. That was something she missed, and her customers told her they missed it as well.
“People were glowing, vibrant and without fail, the comment was that it felt so good to be able to come out to the market and how much they had missed it,” according to Richeson.
Another long-time market vendor is Mary-Anne Symms-Schweser who has a Scentsy business. She’s been at the market since 2012.
Many of her customers have come through the Saturday market, but she’s gotten more than customers, she said.
“A lot of them become my friends,” she said.
More than that, though, she considers many of the other vendors to be like family, she said.
The market will continue on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the third Saturday of November. Live music has still been suspended for now to prevent crowds from gathering, Buxton said.
She hopes entertainment will return in May.
For more information, visit theaugustamarket.com
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
