Oconee Farmers Market Holding Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday

Oconee Farmers Market will celebrate Customer Appreciation Saturday this week as a way of saying thanks to those who have made the market a success this summer.

“It has been a really good year,” Market Manager Cindy Norris Pritchard said, and vendors have banded together to give something back to the customers.

Vendors will contribute to a “basket” of market products that will be given away to a lucky market patron. 

Pritchard said she will hold a drawing at the 1 p.m. closing of the market from cards filled out by customers during the day. No purchase will be necessary to enter. 

In addition to market products, the “basket” will include a market shopping bag and a market T-shirt.

One item that will be much too large to fit into the “basket” but will be given to the winner of the drawing is a compost bin. The bin has been donated by the Keep Oconee County Beautiful Commission.

The market has been held in front of the courthouse in downtown Watkinsville this year, rather than behind Eagle Tavern, as in the past.

The move has improved the visibility of the market and led to an increased number of vendors. August and September were particularly strong months, Pritchard said, with a record 37 vendors on the market’s best day.

The market opened on April 14. It will close its 33-week run on Nov. 24.

That day the Market will be celebrating Small Business Saturday, first held in 2010 as a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are dominated by big retail and e-commerce stores respectively.

Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local.

Red Oak Southern String Band will play this Saturday and next.

The market opens at 8 a.m.

Here's a list of some of the items that will be available this week:

• Fall veggies such as greens and root crops
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Local shelled and whole pecans
• Ga. Pecan Honey Butter
• Honey butter
• Local wildflower honey
• Sourwood honey
• Boiled and fried peanuts
• Kettle corn
• Vegetable quiche
• Empanadas
• Breads including whole grain organic breads
• Cookies and special holiday mini pecan pies
• Jams, jellies, preserves
• 100% grass fed beef
• Beef BBQ sliders
• Sea salts
• Shea butter
• Handmade essential soaps
• Herbs
• Plants
• Perennials
• Trees for Fall planting
• Vegetarian dog and cat treats
• Fatwood bundles for gift giving and holiday fires
• Variety of jewelry- red and black jewelry, necklaces, earrings, jewelry from recycled items
• Hand-crocheted baby blankets
• Purses
• Knitted items
• Rag rugs
• Handmade greetings cards
• Paintings
• Decorated gourds
• Free coffee and ice water

Note: B&G Farms is taking preorders for beef, chicken and products and will be at the market for pickups between 9:30- 10:30 am.