Carolina First Saturday Market

In 2002, the City of Greenville formed a task force with the initiative to develop an open-air downtown farmers’ market for the sale of locally grown farm products, arts, and crafts in order to attract people downtown and provide a resource for the booming residential development taking place. It was decided that the farmers’ market would be located on E. Court Street, the site of the 1920s Greenville Curb Market. The original name for the new event was the “Poinsett Curb Market” in honor of Joel Poinsett, a historical South Carolina figure who was botanist and experimental farmer, but was changed prior to the first market on April 26, 2003 to the “Saturday Market” in order to convey a more casual and fun message. The Saturday Market’s fifth year in 2007 marked a new beginning for the Saturday Market as several changes occurred. First, the market relocated to Main Street to establish more prominence in Downtown Greenville. This new location was ideal, providing ample shade from the magnificent Main Street trees and generating more shoppers from local foot traffic. The City of Greenville also hired a full-time Market Manager, dedicated to the Saturday Market to bring more life to an already great event. New features included musical performances and cooking demonstrations as part of the new, “It’s More Than Just a Market…” activities area. Another new aspect included the “Booth with a Cause,” a weekly booth space dedicated to local, community minded organizations which focus on health, environmental concerns, youth, and/or leisure or any United Way supported agency. The booth gave local non-profits the opportunity to increase awareness and gain exposure by allowing them to recruit volunteers, collect donations, hand out literature, and sell merchandise related to their efforts. Additionally, the Saturday Market created “Touch-A-Truck Day,” a fun family-oriented event where children were invited to climb, sit, and play on a variety of trucks on display. The Saturday Market’s new marketing efforts also resulted in three prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards at the International Festivals & Events Association's 52nd Annual Convention & Expo in Atlanta. The awards included Best Event/Organization E-newsletter, Best Street Banner and Best Hat for events with budgets under $250,000.