By: Yasmine Cowan
The Farmers Market at Maryland welcomed students and faculty for the holiday season during their annual holiday market at Tawes Plaza Garden. The local fresh eats and artisanal wares attracted the campus community to stock up on goods for the holidays.
Students enjoyed delectable products such as bread from RavenHook Bakehouse, local meat and eggs from Country Vittles, and wine from Cove Point Winery. Several vendors were also selling items ranging from handcrafted jewelry from Beads by Bettina to honey and beeswax products from Randalia Beehive.
Farmers market manager Larry Tummlin said the farmers market was developed in 2012 by a collaboration of departments on campus, including the University of Maryland Dining Services.
Three years after the farmers market first opened, in 2015, the holiday market was formed for people who wanted to purchase seasonal gifts during the holidays, Tummlin added.
Despite the farmers market ending on Nov.17, Tummlin, who also coordinates and organizes the holiday market, swiftly revived the market for the holidays on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
“This is a really good opportunity for vendors to get an uptick in sales; the holidays are around, people are buying gifts, so it’s just a fun little thing to look forward to,” said Katie Quinn, a student worker for the holiday market and sophomore agriculture science and tech student.
Quinn added that when the market reappears at Tawes Plaza Garden each year, students are filled with familiar excitement. It is another event they look forward to before finals.
“The last farmers market ended right before Thanksgiving and I was sad that it was going to be the last one, but the market announced that they were going to have the holiday market which was super exciting,” said senior journalism major Jenna Cohen.
