Lately my Saturdays have been completely consumed with Tuacahn.
No, I’m not pursuing an acting career, and I don’t have gold tickets to Little Mermaid. I recently discovered the Tuacahn Saturday Market and now they can’t keep me away.
Each Saturday a canopy of white tents is posted beneath the lovely backdrop of red rock. Vendors come from all over Utah, selling anything from dish towels to cowboy hats.
Three years ago Saturday Market Organizer Chris Graham proposed the idea of a market at Tuacahn. Assistant manager Rosemary Brossard said, “It was a little bit of a push to get going, but now more and more people are capturing the vision. Now we have 200 vendors, including ten seasonal farmers.”
Those considering a booth at the market are encouraged to submit an application any time. Handmade goods are preferred, but Brossard commented, “We support people trying to make extra money in these hard times. Our goal is to get the community to come together, to share time together and be entertained.”
I was entertained with a jewelry booth a good part of an hour until handmade pork tamales tore me away from the lace earrings. In addition to the fresh tamales, rice and beans, the market offers a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and juice for three dollars from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Other booths include shaved ice and home baked goods.
Jorgina Rowley from Santa Clara joined her mother at the market a year ago. “My mom’s been baking forever,” she said. “She sold fudge and caramels at Christmas, so when I read about the Saturday Market in the paper we decided to give it a try and it’s worked out well.”
It’s amazing, the creative things people market and make. Some vendors made purses out of Capri Sun packets, others sewed Christmas tree skirts and baby tutus.
Vicki Smith, a Tuacahn vendor for Dubble Trubble Cutlery said, “People are getting back into homemade things. You can’t buy most of these things in town.”
Smith says vendors see a lot of regulars come out on Saturdays. “It’s somewhere to go on Saturday morning and it’s the only craft market in town,” she stated. “People are happy with it.”
Not only does the market offer crafts and food, they also host a monthly festival. Polynesian day, car shows and rubber-ducky races are just a few festivals of the past. This Saturday internationally-selling artists are coming to Tuacahn to show off their work and do live demonstrations in the Art Show and Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Craig Fetzer, Mary Manning, and Michael Bedard are just a few of the artists ready for the show.
October 8 is the Crazy for Quilts festival, and on October 29 Tuacahn will hold the annual pumpkin festival where kids can come in costume to trick or treat with the market vendors. Even December has a festival, where chestnuts are roasted, carolers are invited and Santa Claus comes to town. Personally, I can’t wait for the national Mustang show next year. Who can resist that?
“The Saturday Market is a unique thing that serves the community and provides information about what’s in southern Utah for those who may not live in St. George,” Brossard said. “I love this, it’s a great way to network the community.”
It sounds like my Saturdays will be booked from now until the end of the year. And who knows, maybe in April I’ll get a booth of my own.
To submit a vendor application, visit http://www.tuacahn.org/downloads/2011application.pdf.
