Group Tour Magazine - May 2023 - 90

SOUTHEA S T
More Markets
Browse the Southeast's
eclectic and charming
marketplaces
* Check out Charleston City Market
in Charleston, South Carolina, one
of the oldest public markets in the
country, and browse goods from
more than 300 entrepreneurs.
Tamarack Marketplace
* Shop for unique handcrafted treasures
from southern Appalachian
crafters at The Folk Art Center in
Asheville, North Carolina.
SHOP LOCAL
Tamarack Marketplace pairs community and
the arts in West Virginia
BY ERICA ZAZO
F
90 MAY 2023
or over 25 years, Tamarack Marketplace has served as a community
hub for artists, makers, and creators from across West Virginia.
The locally curated artisan market and gallery sells handmade
artwork made by nearly 3,000 artists from 55 counties across the
Mountain State. Handcrafted goods from sculptures and paintings to
glassworks and textiles are on sale and on display in the marketplace's
permanent retail store and fine arts gallery.
" We are the first marketplace of our kind to bring together artists
and craftspeople from around the entire state, " says AJ Dennison,
marketing director at Tamarack Marketplace. " We serve artists by
helping them display their artwork, gain visibility, and promote themselves
to travelers and locals who visit our destination. "
At Tamarack, groups can also take advantage of a full conference
center, a performing arts theater, and an Appalachia-inspired
restaurant, which serves cuisine and flavors from around the region.
One of Tamarack's most popular restaurant menu items is its fresh,
hand-battered fried green tomato sandwich.
" When groups enter our unique building, they'll notice it's circular, "
Dennison explains. " Visitors can literally walk a complete circle around
the entire building, passing through the art gallery and retail store before
ending up right where they started. We also have an outdoor courtyard
in the middle of the building. This is where we host many concerts and
demonstrations by local artists throughout the warmer months. "
* Commerce, community, and culture
meet at the historic French Market
District in New Orleans, Louisiana,
where groups can shop, dine, listen
to music, and soak up more than
two centuries of tradition.
* Celebrate Kentucky hospitality
and the creative works from those
who live in the state at Kentucky
Artisan Center at Berea.
* The area's most talented artisans
sell handcrafted pieces from all
mediums at Southwest Virginia
Cultural Center & Marketplace
in Abingdon, Virginia.
Groups interested in a more hands-on art
experience can sign up for a glassblowing
class at the marketplace's studio. During
the hands-on glassblowing experience, students
can learn how to make ornaments,
paperweights, drinking glasses, and more
with the help of Tamarack's on-site resident
glassblowing expert.
The marketplace's convenient location off
Interstate 77 makes it a frequent stopping
place for tour groups and motorcoaches
traveling through Beckley, West Virginia.
The town is known for its proximity to
numerous wilderness areas and parks, and
for its rich history and heritage of the coal
mining industry. "
PHOTO TAMARACK MARKETPLACE
Group Tour Magazine - May 2023

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