Upland hosts 5th annual community market

Last Friday vendors from the Upland Community Market and surrounding areas participated in the fifth annual fall festival hosted by the events team of Our Town Upland at Upland Park.

The festival included booths dedicated to baked goods, coffee, fragrances, crochet items, hand-made crafts and artwork. 

Stephanie Osborne, coordinator for Upland Community Market and events co-chair for Our Town Upland, said the festival brings people together.

“I just heard someone say that they see people here from all walks of life, and from all different areas,” Osborne said. “So I don’t know how far people are coming for this, but I’ve also been told this is the biggest event Upland has ever had. So I think that in itself is the greatest value.”

Delaware County resident and vendor Candia Murphy, owner Raven Crest Creations, said she and her family usually sell their products at craft fairs and renaissance fairs in Eaton. 

“This is the first time coming to Upland, but we’ve been doing business for over a year now,” Murphy said. 

Murphy said she started her business because of medical concerns. 

“I had a heart attack, and my doctor told me to slow down. So I got a hobby and it kind of bloomed” Murphy said. 

Murphy said her business deals with woodworking and leatherworking and paracord bracelets. Some of the items for sale included small decorative boxes, dice towers, leather hand dragons and handmade leather wallets. 

Murphy said she and her family use a light laser to make their merchandise. 

“We’d see stuff and just recreate it,” she said. 

Huntington resident and vendor Kristi Smith said she had only begun selling at the Upland Community markets since July. She began her business, Kikki’s Konnection, this summer. 

 “My whole purpose in all of it is to create things that will connect hearts to the heart of God,” Smith said.

Smith’s merchandise included painted signs and wall art.   

“It was something I didn’t even know I could do. Like, I’m not an artist,” Smith said. “I sing, I don’t draw. And this just kind of came about. And it became kind of a form of therapy for me.”

Smith said she recently began selling painted journals along with her other merchandise.

“I’m a big journaler,” Smith said. “I have multiple prayer journals that I have written in. And so when I found these paintable journals, I jumped on it because I’m like, ‘okay, this is, just a new way to add to it and kind of promote journaling’ because I think it’s a really great and healthy way to process things, but also talk to God in that way.”

Grant County resident and vendor Sue Ellen Rumple said she participated in the Upland Community market all summer.

Rumple said she and her daughter call the business The Flour Garden. Rumple said she sells baked goods without seed oils or additional preservatives.

“We use as much fresh fruit as we possibly can and everything’s delicious,” Rumple said.

Rumple said this is the first year she has participated in the Upland Festival. 

“For the community, I think it (the festival) holds considerable value,” Rumple said. “I mean, it’s a nice evening, the weather’s beautiful, but it does give people an opportunity, because we do live in small towns. So it’s nice when there’s something fun come up that’s happening, you can bring the whole family to.”

Alex Roth attended the event with his wife and children. 

Roth said he thinks the festival value holds value because of the communal aspect. 

“I think it gives a place for community members to interact and to, you know, be part of something to celebrate the season, but just being part of Upland and to get to rub shoulders with people that you might not see at work or wherever, other places” Roth said.

Editors Note: This post was edited to fix a misspelled business name