This Sunday, from 11am till 3pm, the organisation’s hosting the inaugural Sustainable Glenorchy Market Day, which aims to support the head of the lake’s artistic community.
Founded in 2016, the society’s been focused on big picture advocacy work — it aims to ensure the air, water and soil in our community continue to be as pure as possible for future generations — but secretary Karen Pronk says there’s been a desire to better engage with residents at a grassroots level.
That led to the inaugural harvest festival in March, which included guest speakers and entertainment, at which the community brought fresh food, plants and other goods and exchanged them at no cost.
A couple of months later, the Glenorchy Co-operative Shop had to close, because their venue was needed for something else, Pronk says.
"And I thought, we’ve got all these people who are artistic ... who have been selling bits and pieces through this co-op, maybe we could have a market day, so that they have another venue?"
After spending several weeks worrying they wouldn’t have enough stallholders — then worrying they’d have too many — the primary concern now is ensuring people support it.
Pronk says about 18 stallholders are expected, selling everything from native plants and seedlings to herbal remedies, kids’ items, arts and crafts, and woodwork, while there’ll also be a couple of food stalls, and facilities for people to make their own tea and coffee.
Already there are plans to hold the market day every spring, and continue holding the harvest fest in autumn.
Provided the weather’s fine, the market will be held on the village green beside the Glenorchy Hall — if it’s not, it’ll move inside the hall.
