Fun, farming and fall come together for the Autumn Harvest Festival
Black Mountain Tailgate Market celebrates the season with live music, guest vendors and Parade of Pumpkins
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 27, 2022
Her Heartbeat Farm, a member of the Black Mountain Tailgate Market, will offer heirloom vegetables, a variety of fresh berries and hand-crafted leather goods, Oct. 29, as the market hosts its inaugural Autumn Harvest Festival. Photo courtesy of BMTM
It’s never hard to find something new among the vendors at the Black Mountain Tailgate Market, where locally grown produce, hand-crafted goods and artisan wares are a Saturday morning staple from May through mid-November. The market’s freshest offering, however, will come to the field on the north side of the First Baptist Church of Black Mountain, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, as it hosts the inaugural Autumn Harvest Festival.
The free event will feature 25 members of the market, more than 20 guest vendors, live music and activities for children, including a scavenger hunt and the Parade of Pumpkins.
The family-friendly gathering will fill the market with fresh produce, proteins, local baked goods, pastries and the creations of Western N.C. artisans, while marking the return to a festive era for the BMTM, according to manager Jacqueline Smith.
“COVID upended things for people, and other organizations have been able to pick up where they left off after the peak of the pandemic, but our market has been in transition through much of that time,” said Smith, who moved into the role in September, after health concerns forced longtime market manager Joan Engelhardt to step down. “Our hope is that we can revisit that sense of community, and this festival is an opportunity to do that.”
Black Mountain Tailgate Market member Creative Copper will feature pitcher plants and hand-crafted copper goods at its vendor booth in the Autumn Harvest Festival. Photo courtesy of BMTM
The market began in 1994, when a group of local growers gathered at the former town hall to offer fresh fruits and vegetables to a handful of customers. As its popularity grew, the loose collective of farmers, craftspeople and bakers formed a nonprofit organization in 2008. The tailgate market now boasts 25 member, including Dynamite Roasting, Co., Red Scout Farm, Four Sisters Bakery and multiple farms and nurseries, while hosting a rotating cast of day vendors.
The Autumn Harvest Festival, originally conceived by BMTM member Woven Roots Farmstead, represents an opportunity for participating small businesses to connect with the surrounding community, according to the Smith.
“One of the most important things about farmers’ markets is that they not only provide a way to solidify support for this niche of the local economy, they also serve as a platform for education,” she said. “If you can create a sense of community, that naturally fosters education and ties into personal relationships. The farming industry is kind of a dying breed, so it’s important to get kids involved, and markets have a unique opportunity to give children exposure to the work of apiaries, farmers, artists and people who make things with their hands.”
The Black Mountain Tailgate Market will host its inaugural Autumn Harvest Festival, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Oct. 29. Image courtesy of BMTM
The festive atmosphere on Saturday, which will feature musical performances by Samara Jade Gisando and Chris Welsh, of the folk duo Sun and Moon Dance, will encourage visitors to listen, linger and talk to fellow community members.
“Music has been an integral part of the market for years,” Smith said. “Samara Jade will perform on the main stage, while Chris, who specializes in antique Nordic string instruments, will play as people enter the market. He’ll also have a booth where he will teach kids about those instruments.”
Welsh will provide the live soundtrack to the Parade of the Pumpkins, which allows children attending the festival to design and create pumpkin masks to be worn on a procession through the market, ending with a costume contest on the main stage.
Other activities, including Story Time with Ms. Lulu of the Black Mountain Library and a scavenger hunt organized by Lick Log Branch Apiaries and Mama B’s Pure Honey, will offer additional entertainment for children who attend.
“We’re fortunate to have great partnerships with so many amazing businesses and organizations, which helps creates a true sense of community within the market itself,” Smith said. “Our goal with the Autumn Harvest Festival is to strengthen the connection between our community and members of the surrounding community. I really believe we can make BMTM the most community-oriented market in the region.”
For more information on the Autumn Harvest Festival, including a map of participating vendors, visit the Black Mountain Tailgate Market Facebook page.