By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
With just a few days left until the first Lucky Finds Market opens at the Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena, the new market aimed at helping small businesses and local charitable organizations has more than 50 vendors signed up.
The first market is slated for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Originally, organizers Nicole Miller and Challne Barnes set a goal of about 25 vendors. However, after the response, they added additional vendor spots.
While Barnes said she’s thrilled with the number of vendors participating, having about 65 percent of those vendors coming from local, black-owned businesses make the market even more special during Black History Month.
“We didn’t set out for that to happen, it just naturally happened that way,” Barnes said. “It means the world to us. We’re trying to do something better in our community and seeing people of our color standing up saying we needed something like this and we’re going to come out to support this market, well, it’s just amazing.”
The Oxford Lucky Finds Market will be held on the first Saturday of each month.
Barnes said there are already 25 vendors on the waiting list for the March market.
The goal of the market is to create an outlet for networking opportunities for small, local businesses, start-ups, crafters, resellers, farmers and bakers. The organizers also hope that the monthly market will also bring economic growth to Oxford, provide resources to small businesses and help them to build connections that could lead to local entrepreneurial ventures.
The event admission fee is $1 or one canned food item. Kids are free.
The proceeds will benefit the Oxford Salvation Army, Stronger Together Oxford and the Lafayette-Oxford Food Pantry. Each month, a different local charity will receive the proceeds generated through the Lucky Finds Table, where people can place an item for sale and receive 50 percent of the proceeds with the other 50 percent going toward the monthly charity.
The market is supported by a grant from the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Mississippi Arts Commission and Visit Mississippi. Other help, like volunteers, has been provided by the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army and Stronger Together Oxford.
The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors allowed the market to use the arena and Kroger donated snacks and water for the vendors.
“The support we have gotten is just phenomenal,” Barnes said. “The community has supported us every step of the way.”
To become a vendor, visit www.Oxfordarts.com click on “Oxford’s Lucky Finds Market” and follow the prompts on the screen.
Follow Lucky Finds Market on Facebook.
For more information on Vendor sign-up or information about becoming the Charity of the Month visit the website above or contact via email at: oxfluckyfindsmarket@gmail.com.
