Biannual market approaches

Vintage Lynchburg showcases handmade, special items from local artisans

Celebrating and showcasing the talents of Lynchburg’s artistic community, the Vintage Lynchburg Spring Market will take place at Urban Arts Garage 10th and Commerce Street in downtown Lynchburg April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vintage Lynchburg is a biannual vendor market that showcases local artisans and features vintage, antique, repurposed and handcrafted goods, according to the Vintage Lynchburg website. The event is planned and coordinated by Leah Wiebe and Kelly Pittman.

The idea for Vintage Lynchburg was sparked by accident, Wiebe said, when she and a friend of hers made the decision to have a physical grand opening for their online business, Regeneration.

“As we began planning, we decided we should invite a few friends who also had small businesses out of their homes, to set up with us, and (that) quickly turned into the Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale 2012,” Wiebe said. “What began as a means to simply showcase our own work became an event with 17 vendors and 800 attendees. Now it has become a biannual event, having just wrapped up our fifth sale (Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale 2014) this past November with 75 vendors and 2,700 in attendance.”

This year, Wiebe said she anticipates more than 3,000 attendees at the Spring Market.

“(The event) has grown in nearly every way imaginable,” Wiebe said. “The location size, number of vendors and number of attendees are the most measurable. Plus, we are always looking to challenge ourselves to increase the scope, scale and professionalism of each event.”

Wiebe and Pittman met at church and were merely acquaintances until Pittman offered to help Wiebe with the Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale 2013.

“This was the first sale I was really trying to plan and coordinate on my own, and I think Kelly could tell I was in over my head and more than slightly overwhelmed,” Wiebe said. “From there, she helped with the next sale, after which we officially formed a partnership as Vintage Lynchburg together.”

Both Wiebe and Pittman studied at Liberty University. Pittman graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in business, while Wiebe got her undergraduate degree in psychology and her master’s degree in human services.

This year’s Spring Market will include more than 80 vendors from businesses throughout the Central Virginia area, some of which include Golf Park Coffee, Simply Wooden and The White Hart Cafe.

According to Pittman, there will be a wide variety of handcrafted items available at the Spring Market. Items include furniture, wooden items, home decor, pottery, clothing, children’s items, spices, herbs, jewelry, chalk art, leather goods, food and candles.

For each event, Vintage Lynchburg chooses to support a local nonprofit organization. This year, Wiebe said that a portion of every admission ticket benefits Word Works!
“Word Works! is a nonprofit creative writing lab that provides writing enrichment and remediation services to kids in grades K-12 through a variety of fun and interesting workshops and activities,” Pittman said. “Their programs are designed to foster a love of language and give young people the power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently and in their individual voice while at the same time, it teaches the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to be a successful and contributing adult.”

Coordinating an event like Vintage Lynchburg is not an easy feat, but Wiebe and Pittman said that seeing it all come together is rewarding.

“There are moments leading up to the sale that (Kelly and I) ask ourselves, ‘Are we crazy?’ and ‘Can we really pull this off?’” Wiebe said. “But the moment the doors open and people start coming through, it is very surreal. I just love seeing all the people be so surprised that this is our Lynchburg … and it’s filled with amazingly
talented people.”

Pittman added that she loves hearing the positive feedback from people who attend the events.

“It’s great hearing about everyone getting excited and being able to see all of the new creative items our vendors bring each time,” Pittman said. “The wonderful handcrafted items our vendors create never ceases to amaze me. I believe it reveals the talent that is right here in Lynchburg and encourages entrepreneurship and the importance of those in the local community, encouraging each other in their talents.”

According to Wiebe, Vintage Lynchburg’s goal overall is to help create a closer community with the local businesses and people of Lynchburg.

“Establishing a creative community that inspires, encourages and supports one another as well as giving artisans a platform to sell their work locally is the mission behind Vintage Lynchburg,” Wiebe said. “It is the reason we work for months prepping, planning and enduring many sleepless nights.”

General admission tickets for the Vintage Lynchburg Spring Market are available at the door for $3, cash only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early bird shopping is available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and tickets can be purchased online. Only 100 are available.

For more information on Vintage Lynchburg, visit vintagelynchburg.com.

BUNNER is a feature reporter.