About Us

The purpose of the Green Market at the Corinth Depot is to offer an opportunity for local farmers, gardeners, artisans, craftsman, etc. to sell their wares in an open-air, grassroots setting. The Green Market hopes to encourage buying locally and stimulating our economy, while providing a place for residents and visitors to gather and share their goods. The Green Market at Corinth Depot is funded by the Corinth Area Tourism Promotion Council and is managed by a volunteer based committee.

Awards

2009 - Voted Best Small Event or Festival by Mississippi Tourism Association
2010 - Selected as a top fair or festival in Mississippi by Mississippi Magazine readers

Contact Info

Web: www.corinthgreenmarket.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreenMarketattheCorinthDepot
E-mail: karenbeth@corinth.net
Phone: 662-287-8300

2012 Committee Members

Karen Beth Martin - chairperson
Zack Steen
Lisa Green
Tommy Ledbetter
Melissa Carson

2011 Committee Members

Karen Beth Martin - chairperson
Zack Steen
Lisa Green
Tommy Ledbetter
Melissa Carson
Brandy Steen

2010 Committee Members

Karen Beth Martin - chairperson
Zack Steen
Lisa Green
Susanne Cooper
Tommy Ledbetter
Lynn Barnwell
Melissa Carson
Brandy Steen

2009 Founding Committee Members

Karen Beth Martin - chairperson
Zack Steen
Lisa Green
Susanne Cooper
Tommy Ledbetter
Lynn Barnwell
Melissa Carson

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The following was written by Green Market at the Corinth Depot chairperson Karen Beth Martin in late 2009 to submit to the Mississippi Tourism Association for Best Small Festival or Event in Mississippi award.

On March 2, 2010, at the Mississippi Governor's Conference on Tourism the award for Best Small Festival Event in Mississippi was given to the Green Market at the Corinth Depot.

2010 Green Market at the Corinth Depot committee: Zack Steen, Susanne Cooper, Melissa Carson,
Lisa Green, Karen Beth Martin and Brandy Steen (not pictured - Tommy Ledbetter and Lynn Barnwell).

TITLE OF AWARD NOMINATION: Festival / Event of the Year – Small
NAME: Green Market at the Corinth Depot
WIN: Yes

The Green Market at the Corinth Depot debuted with a season that ran from May through November. Market was held on the second Saturday of each month from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The criteria for the Market was that everything sold had to be handmade or homegrown within a 100-mile radius of Corinth, Mississippi. Booth fees were $10 per Saturday or $50 for a season package; any produce sellers were allowed to participate for free. Only the space was provided; individual sellers had to bring their own tables, tents, chairs, etc. The Green Market committee sold Green Market t-shirts and reusable biodegradable organic cotton shopping bags.
The Green Market came out of the Arts Culture committee, a function of the Corinth Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. This committee was formed and began meeting in January 2009 and plans for the Green Market were one of the first items discussed. A sub-committee of Arts Culture was formed specifically to help with the Green Market but all members also serve on Arts Culture. The Green Market committee consists of: Zack Steen, Lisa Green, Tommy Ledbetter, Susanne Cooper, Melissa Carson, Karen Beth Martin and Lynn Barnwell. This sub-committee met monthly – sometimes more – to get the Green Market up and running.
No one on the committee had experience with Market planning so it was a learning experience for everyone! Despite that, the season was a great success by all accounts. The first Market, held on May 2 in conjunction with the Coca-Cola 5K Race, went on despite rainy weather and featured over twenty sellers from Corinth and the surrounding area. Several markets since then have had rain but the show has gone on each time. The season continued through November, averaging about 25 sellers per market and about 500 buyers per market.
Goods sold included painted gourds, baked goods, jewelry, lampwork, plants, vegetables, lemonade, knitwear, wooden furniture and home accessories, soaps and bath goods, pet treats, canned goods, bottle trees, wooden photo frames, yard art, and a great variety of other things.
The Garden Mama was at the July Market to do a live radio broadcast and to sell and sign her latest book. The Green Market committee had great success with local honey at the August Market and has sold it at each market since. The original plan was to run the season through October but demand for the Green Market was so great – from sellers and buyers alike – that a November Market was held.
The entire season was capped off with a holiday finale called the RED Green Market, held on December 5 from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m. The idea for this market came from old-time European Markets and featured a 30 x 90 event tent complete with twinkle lights. Although not all of the items sold were holiday-themed, they were all perfect for gift-giving and each seller decorated their tent in a festive way and offered gift wrap. There were thirty sellers in total for the RED Green Market, twenty-two under the main tent and eight set up with their own tents outside. In addition to the regular items, there were live wreaths, chili, taco soup, ribbon candles, metal ornaments, Christmas tree skirts and various other holiday items. The Northeast Mississippi Dulcimer Association played Christmas music from 2:00 – 3:00 and the Corinth Theatre-Arts Youth Group did a Christmas skit from 3:00 – 4:00. Christmas music was played throughout the day and hot cider was offered free to those attending. Although it was a cold day, it was a great day and very successful.
The goal for the Green Market at the Corinth Depot is to offer a Saturday gathering that nods back to a time past and to offer an opportunity for local artists and growers to showcase and market their wares. The Market is not a money-making venture for the Corinth Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; booth fees, honey sales, t-shirt and tote sales go back into the Green Market budget, with the hopes of making it bigger and better in the future. Great efforts are made to involve the community on every level: the committee is an all-volunteer committee, any musician or group who wants to perform at the Green Market is welcome, anyone is welcome to sell as long as they meet the simple criteria. The hope is to have people look to local sources for the things that they need and want to buy, stimulating the local economy and ‘going green’ as much as possible.
Community feedback for the Green Market has been astounding. The most common comment has been that the Market is “exactly what Corinth has needed for a long time.” People have come from as far as Michigan to attend the Market but there is a local following who attend each time. People come from the neighboring areas as well: Iuka, Ripley, Tishomingo, Florence, Collierville, Baldwyn, Booneville, and Tupelo. There is a curiosity to see what new items will be at each Market and also a desire to buy from neighbors and friends.
The 2010 Market Season will begin in April, a month earlier than this year. This, too, is by popular demand. There are already calls to participate and calls to attend. The committee has learned a lot in the first season and is prepared to learn a lot more in the coming season. However, the hope is that the Market will continue to grow in quality and popularity and from the looks of the first season, there is little doubt that it will.