For years, the Great American Market has filled a good-sized stretch of Commercial Street, and Saturday was no exception.
Residents from the area and several states came to the market, whether as shoppers or as vendors. Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods says people came to Emporia from as far away as Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
Among the vendors on hand was Street Cats Club, which was selling hand-made cat items and taking donations to help fund its foster program for sick or injured cats as well as its trap-neuter-release program. Member Monika Markus says Great American Market was a good outreach option for the club.
Also getting the word out was Emporia Symphony Orchestra — which is gearing up for its fall 2021 schedule beginning next month. Board president Kendra Briggs says things should be back to normal for the Emporia Symphony Orchestra this year.
Over 150 vendors were on hand along with the thousands of people walking Commercial Street between Sixth and 12th. Main Street had several protocols in place to help address COVID-19 spread, including larger-than-normal spaces between vendor booths and widespread use of hand sanitizers.
Main Street had planned to have The Taste later this month, but that inside event was canceled due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
