For area residents, the Mount Airy Farmers’ Market isn’t just a place to seek out fresh homegrown produce and locally sourced food and craft items.
Now, it’s also a place to catch a little Friday morning entertainment.
The market — open in Mount Airy each Friday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 111 South Main Street — will be having periodic musical guests on hand for the enjoyment of customers and vendors alike.
Today, the The Salem Band Tuba Quartet will kick off the season, playing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On July 2, Cedar Ridge is scheduled to perform and on July 9 Cliff Clune is set to entertain shoppers and vendors.
Market officials are looking for more musicians and singers to perform at the market.
Joe Zalescik, coordinator for the Mount Airy Farmers’ Market, said last month the market had received an anonymous donation “to cover the costs of a portable tent and chairs for the entertainers along with performance fees to cover six dates.”
“We’re not looking for any particular type of music,” he said in May when he announced the search for talent to perform. He did say those considering applying to perform would need to understand there’s no electricity available — “…it would have to be acoustic.”
Zalescik said this might be a good opportunity for a local musician, or musicians, who want to get exposure, to “get their name out there.” He said musicians will be able to sell their CDs if they’d like as well.
Initially, he said he’d like to book six acts as a trial run.
“I want to see if there’s success with it, and then we’ll look at trying to get grants or donations to fund it the rest of the season, or we’ll fund it, that’ll be a board decision,” he said of the governing board for the Surry County Farmer’s Market, which oversees the Mount Airy effort. He added that the group is open to other individuals or groups donating money to continue the live music.
The Surry County Farmers Market oversees not only the Friday Mount Airy market, which is open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., but the Elkin Farmers Market (open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon) and the market in Dobson, which operates from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. each Thursday.
In addition to produce, Zalescik said vendors sell meat, eggs, honey, flowers, crafters, wood crafters, fabric crafters, and other food items, including his own booth where he sells hot roasted peanuts in the shell and homemade peanut butter.
Vendors pay a single fee for the year, and can set up at any of the three markets — or at all of them — as their schedule allows.
Zalescik said he is still looking for musical acts to fill out the entertainment schedule. Anyone interested should contact him at 336-934-2791 or e-mail zales60@yahoo.com
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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