In the morning on Dec. 11, before we ever made it to the museum and beach at Springmaid Pier, Lee Ann and I stopped at Market Common on the Southside of Myrtle Beach where we planned to have brunch at Tupelo Honey restaurant.
But as we walked to the eatery, we noticed an outdoor market just across Howard Avenue in Valor Memorial Garden. Always a fan of outdoor markets, we decided to momentarily delay our meal and checkout the holiday vendors.
There was a bakery (which would lead to a heretofore visit to Surfside Beach later on the trip), a produce stand, a kettle popcorn stand and then a bevy of artisans selling honeys, jewelry, pottery, wood-carved accessories, homemade candles, and other crafts. A sample of the pottery offers are shown in the photo leading off the post.
Lee Ann had a lot of Christmas presents to get on her list still, so she made a lot of the vendors happy that morning. For a full gallery of images from the visit to the Holiday Market, follow the link in this sentence.
Above and first three below: Lots of choices were available at the booth of Benjamin's Bakery and Cafe of Surfside Beach. It was from this vendor that we purchases several Bavarian cream paczkis, the first time I'd ever sampled a paczki. We both so much enjoyed them that we made a special trip south of Myrtle Beach to the home bakery later in the week to get some more. That trip, which included stops at a candy and home decor stores, will be chronicled in a later post.
Above and below: A distinct holiday flavor could be found in this vendor's products, most of which were crafted in wood.
Above and below: Another artisan skilled in woodcraft with his products.
Above and below: Some more samples of the pottery for sale at the holiday market. Above: Another vendor had these assorted craft works for sale. Above and below: A professional tool sharpener takes care of an order while tending to his booth at the market.
Above: The centerpiece of Market Common is Valor Memorial Garden, distinguished by this lengthy gathering area framed by a white-painted pergola. We presumed it is host to regular farmers markets during the year in addition to the two-weekend holiday market we were fortunate to happen upon while in Myrtle Beach on this trip.
Above: These vendors' sign tells it all.
Above and below: Some more woodcraft on display, which also offered customers custom-laser engraving on their purchases if they desired.
Above: A honey vendor's variety of flavor options. Above and below: For the produce shopper, this vendor had many vegetable staples available for purchase.
Above and next two below: A variety of ornaments, many of them glass orbs.
Above and below: We made a second trip to the holiday market on Dec. 18, the day before we departed Myrtle Beach, just to see if Lee Ann could find anything new to complete her still-unfinished Christmas list. While she perused, I camped at this vendor's station -- which I did not recall seeing the previous week -- and got myself a large bag to take back to our accommodations for the return trip to Raleigh the next day.
Next: Surfside Beach for the small-shop trifecta
Previously in the series:
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