For the 2015 season, the Wrightsville Beach Farmers Market hit a record high of registered vendors.
Katie Ryan, Parks and Recreation program supervisor, said part of this increase is due to a rule change.
“Last year, 20 percent of the market could be craft vendors,” she said. “This year, we’re allowing 10.”
During previous market seasons, five or fewer craft vendors were present. The new rules also allow vendors to sell bottled water.
Ryan said the list of vendors has changed from last year.
“Now, we have a poultry vendor, a pork vendor, and a couple of chocolate vendors,” she said.
Cynthia Tucker, owner of Sea of Glass Studio, has observed the market’s growth since her first season as a vendor in 2013.
“Attendance has picked up,” she said. “We have more vendors and more variety of food options — not just produce, but prepared foods as well.”
Among the new food vendors is Sue Papach, founder of So Sweet Chocolates. Papach sells her gourmet desserts — like sea salt caramels and Nutter Butter seahorses — from the back of a camper.
“We just got the camper in November. … It’s my shop. I can take it wherever. I had it custom designed,” Papach said.
Like some of So Sweet’s chocolates, Joanna Frye’s work is also inspired by the ocean. Frye creates paintings, glass-bottle sculptures and other artwork in her Wrightsville Beach home.
Frye said the first day of the market attracted a buying crowd.
“There’s been a steady flow of people and decent sales,” she said. “I’m waiting for school to get out so it’ll step up a bit more.”
Jewelry maker Lesly Oliver said, “The people here are very encouraging.” Oliver works primarily with shells, sea glass and sterling silver.
“I’m a self-taught jewelry maker,” she said.
Oliver, an Australia native, moved to Kure Beach, N.C., after taking a risk management job. Then, she decided to fulfill her dream of being an artist by creating Grace Designed Jewelry.
“It’s through God’s grace that I’m able to do what I do,” she said.
Oliver’s husband, Chris Oliver, stood by her side selling small plants potted in driftwood.
“We’ve found that the jewelry and the plants have been quite complementary,” she said.
The bromeliads — also known as air plants — are from South America.
“They’re easy to maintain,” Oliver said. “You just need to spray them twice per week and put them somewhere they get light.”
Wonderland Farm is also new to the market bringing Berkshire pig pork products this year.
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