Fairhope’s Mobile Bay Maker’s Market finds new home

FAIRHOPE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — For the past three years, people in Fairhope have flocked to the Mobile Bay Maker’s Market at South Beach Park to shop from locally owned businesses.

However, the final market was held near the bay last month as they were ordered to relocate. Amanda Webb, the founder of the market, said she spent weeks looking for a new place to host the event.

“It’s the talk of the town … my customers are all talking about when the market is coming back,” Charlie Barkley, founder of Pop’s Brittle Company

That wait and anticipation is finally over. People can head down to the American Legion Post 199 in Fairhope for the next few Mobile Bay Maker’s Markets starting on July 28.

Webb said when she created the market, she envisioned a place where local artisans and business owners could come together to showcase their talent and work.

“Fairhope is a community of artists. That’s what we are,” Webb said.

Vendors at the market must create, grow, or make at least 80% of what they sell.

“The makers market in general is actually kind of like a family. We really all connect well together,” Melissa Hergenroder, founder of the Crafty Fox said.

Many vendors said they depend heavily on market sales. In fact, some vendors said that up to a third of their monthly income is reliant on the biweekly maker’s market.

“We pay rent here and we pay Fairhope Utilities. Those two markets pay those two bills every month,” Barkley said. “That’s a big deal to us.”

These business owners were devastated when they heard that the city ordered them to find a new location for the market.

Fairhope’s Mayor Sherry Sullivan said the city will soon begin a waterfront restoration project around the pier beginning with South Beach Park.

“I told them they could do a couple more markets and then we were going to need to start just so we could prepare for that project to begin,” Sullivan said.

Mayor Sullivan said that the project could take up to two years to finish and in the meantime, the city is working to make revisions to their park ordinances.

She said that all of the Fairhope City parks are available to rent, but renters are unable to be sublease the space to others.

“I just want to say thank you to the American Legion Post 199 for letting us have it here,” Webb said. “I’m excited for all of us to be back out. It’ll be a fun day.”

For more information about future Mobile Bay Maker’s Market events visit their website .

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