Stock up on homemade goodies and other handcrafted items this weekend at the 16th annual Small Town Christmas in the Country at Rolater Park in Cave Spring. Event hours are 9 am until 4 pm on Saturday and noon until 4 pm on Sunday. Over 170 vendors will be located throughout the park and inside the Hearn Academy.
Small Town Christmas in the Country began as an Open House event just for friends at the home of organizer Susan Childers, who says that it has evolved over the years into a major annual event at the park.
Vendors come from all over the southeast sell their wares at the event, asserts Childers, who is thankful to have met ‘a lot of really neat people’.
A plethora of items will be for sale at Small Town, including pottery, stained glass, Christmas décor, and (of course) food.
Jams, jellies, preserves, chow chow, pickles, salsa and Russian tea are among the culinary delights that will be available. And you can try it before you buy it, enthuses Childers.
And if you would like to make some of these homemade delights at your own home, make sure to pick up one (or both) of the Childers’ family cookbooks. ‘Preserving the Past’ is the latest installment of the series. Childers’ daughter, Amanda Smith, says that the goal is to share recipes for some of her family’s favorite things to eat.
Admission to Small Town Christmas in the Country ’19 is free. Some of the vendors will sell discounted items on Sunday from 2 pm until 4 pm. Door prizes will be given away as well.
The 2019 Winter Art Market is also set for Saturday and Sunday at the Rome Civic Center. Hours are 10 am until 4 pm both days. Admission and parking are free.