A view of Chaka Davis’ booth for her business Visionary Women.A snapshot of Chaka Davis’ artwork.A photograph of Susan Suttle’s handmade jewelry for her business Silver Serpent Chainmaille.
For anyone interested in the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of a visit to a farmers’ market without having to wake up early on a weekend morning, the Hamilton Market may be worthwhile to check out.
The Hamilton Market is open every Thursday from 5-8 P.M. and is located outside of the Butler County Courthouse. Attending the event offers residents and visitors an opportunity to support local small businesses. It is a space where individuals can admire, purchase, and consume unique and handcrafted products whilst connecting with members of their community. There, visitors can expect to find a plethora of goods to purchase. These include, but are not limited to, artwork, bread, seasonings, flowers, jewelry, local raw honey, and baked goods.
Orchestrator of the event, Daniel Guard, explained that its focus is on dispersing handmade foods and goods. He shared that they opened for the very first time this year in late August in affiliation with the more established Witches’ Market, which has locations in Hamilton, Covington, and Milford.
Each of the vendors was incredibly welcoming, making a point to greet each passing customer with a bright smile, warm countenance, and occasionally, a free sample. Each was also willing to provide enthusiastic responses to inquiries about the specifics of their small businesses.
Susan Suttle, for example, owner of Silver Serpent Chainmaille and resident of Hamilton, explained with great pride how each of her jewelry pieces is made from individual rings that she links together with pliers one by one. She’s been at the art for 20 years, and the breadth of her experience is apparent in her meticulously crafted work.
Vendor Renee Strickland was also open to speaking about her history in making handmade beaded jewelry. When asked how long she’d been at it, she explained that she first learned to make jewelry in high school, but abandoned the hobby after motherhood made life busy. However, now that her kids have grown up, she’s just within the past few months, rediscovered the art and is happy to now have a medium to express herself creatively. With her work, she aims to create unique pieces that others can connect with and utilize for personal expression.
Artist Chaka Davis was another willing respondent to questions about her artwork and business, Visionary Women. At her booth, she sold her own handmade jewelry and paintings, on canvases as well as clothing. As a stay-at-home mother, she pursues vending full-time, and explained when asked how she finds locations to sell her goods, that it is often through Hamilton and Ohio vending groups. She mentioned, too, that over time she’s become acquainted with fellow vendors in the area, as they all tend to wind up in the same locations.
The idea for the Hamilton Market, according to Guard, was to make the farmers’ market accessible to those unavailable or reluctant to wake up early on weekends. However, since it’s so newly established and was opened so late in the season, it’s failed thus far to gain much traction within the community. Guard stressed their need for publicity and expressed hope that they’ll receive more business next year by starting in April as opposed to August.
The last opportunity to attend this year is October 30th. So, anyone interested in checking out what the market has to offer before the season ends ought to mark their calendars and visit soon.
