Annual Holiday Market brings festive fun
Published 7:00 am Thursday, November 23, 2023
Velvet Montoro of Miss Madilyn’s Macarons showcases her Euro-inspired baked creations.
Miss Madilyn’s Macarons offered 24 macaron flavors at the Holiday Market.
The Sixth Annual Holiday Market is held at the Greenville fairground’s event building.
Reneasha Gardner Hasley displays her Mary Kay merchandise in the brand’s traditional pink color.
The Holiday Market hosted a range of 50 local, out-of-town and out-of-state vendors.
The Holiday Market coordinator, Amy Hallford (right), displays her Scentsy products beside twin sister, Ashley Adams’s (left) sticker and sweets booth.
Kash’s Sweet Tooth, owned by Shaliyah Hamilton, debuts with many cookie creations and fresh lemonade. Pictured are Hamilton’s mother Pamela Boggan (left) and sister Sharita Hamilton (right).
Tina Blackmon, a local vendor, proudly displays her skincare products and fun jewelry selection.
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Greenville’s sixth annual Holiday Market was a festive success with nearly doubled vendor participation compared to last year and an abundance of local visitors. The exquisite fall day on Nov. 18 was a perfect backdrop for the affair, with local and non-local vendors on hand to share their crafts and livelihood with hopeful spirits.
Amy Hallford, a Greenville local, and her sister Brandi Peavy, began the Holiday Market six years ago at Beeland Park. Hallford said that she was very happy for this year’s turnout, and explained that the first year of the event hosted less than 10 local vendors. Last year it grew with close to 30 participants.
“The local vendors really show up for the market,” Hallford said. “To have the community come out and support them means a lot to me, as the organizer, and to the vendors. They might work from home, or be trying to raise money for something or be trying to save money, and it means a lot for the community to show up like that.”
Hallford said that she is shooting big for next year’s Holiday Market, and is hoping to double its size again.
One of the first-time vendors who traveled to Greenville on Saturday was Velvet Montoro, the pastry chef and owner of Miss Madilyn’s Macarons. She wore a charming cook’s hat and displayed her baked creations on a table which mimicked the feel of a Paris pastry cafe. Montoro has been making international cookies since she was a child, baking bread for close to 16 years and creating macarons for five.
“When I married my husband, I was given his grandma’s cookbook,” Montoro said. “His grandparents came over from Sicily, so the pastries are as authentic as they come. We spent some time in Germany, and I got addicted to macarons and decided to learn how to make them.”
Montoro is an Alaskan resident who grew up in Colorado, and currently resides with her husband in Prattville.
A local vendor, Mary Kay representative Reneasha Gardner Hasley, said being a part of the Holiday Market has been fun.
“The community has been so great to come out and support these small businesses,” Hasley said. “I’m just honored that they even thought about me being a part of it.”
Another local vendor Tina Blackmon, also expressed excitement and gratitude in witnessing the community come together for the event. She said she loves the opportunity for her and the other vendors to display their merchandise and information all in one place communally.
For inquiries about Greenville’s next Holiday Market email Hallford at amyhallford@yahoo.com.
