Tybrisa Street on Tybee Island was busy with locals and tourists all day Saturday, perusing the many vendors lining the streets for the second Holiday Market hosted by Tybee Island Main Street.
About 50 vendors were lined up on each side of the street, leading to a bounce house, face-painting and a train for kids. At the end of the street stood a Christmas tree waiting to be lit at 6 p.m. Local musicians filled the air with music.
Planning for an event like this starts in May, the beginning of the summer and the height of tourist season for beach cities like Tybee Island. Even then, members of Tybee Island Main Street are thinking ahead to the off-peak travel period.
"This is the offseason right now for Tybee, so we're trying to keep business pumping for small businesses and bring people in just to show them that Tybee is not just a summer town, but that we do things in the colder months as well," said Mackensi Lozada, an assistant for Main Street. "It's a time for us to bring the community together."
Some of the vendors included retailers local to Tybee Island Savannah like the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Casey Jones Photography, Alchemy and the Sea and Wheelie Good Dog Food.
Credit: Destini Ambus
Credit: Destini Ambus
"This is accessible, and this is wonderful [for vendors]," said Ashley Flynn, the owner of Alchemy and the Sea. "And within Tybee the community here is excellent because it can give us these tourists that we can't get downtown [Savannah]."
Flynn is an electroforming artist who works primarily with copper. All the copper she gets is from Re:Purpose Savannah, who works with the Georgia Historical Society to get what she uses from Hattie Mae House of Johnny Mercer Cottage.
"This way, it's a little piece of wearable Savannah history to take with you," Flynn said.
Another vendor in attendance was Sara Ramaker, the owner and head designer of Granny Flounders, a business selling all handmade products of stuffed animals, totes and drawstring bags.
Credit: Destini Ambus
Credit: Destini Ambus
"We use a lot of repurposed materials, jeans, bedspreads, things like that, and turning them into something new and fun," Ramaker said.
Ramaker said she heard of the event the year before, and heard that this year it was going to be much bigger and more fun, so she wanted to participate. All of the vendors said business had been great the whole day.
Only in its second year, the Holiday Market was already a huge success, according to Lozada. The year before brought in two or three thousand people, and it looked like there were even more than that on Saturday.
"We've had a lot of foot traffic, and it seems like a lot of locals are coming out," Lozada said.
Tourists, too, were out. Victoria Russell and her husband were visiting their friend from Tampa and said they loved the market and had picked up about five gifts.
"It's the fact that there is a bunch of eco-friendly stuff, and the people are fantastic," she said.
Tybee Island Main Street will have the annual Tybee Christmas Parade of Lights from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 1. The parade starts at 6th Street and moves down Butler Avenue to Tybrisa Street. There will also be a canned food drive.
Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: ‘It’s a time for us to bring the community together:’ Tybee Island Main Street hosts Holiday Market
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