ACAD’s Eleventh Holiday Market was a dashing success! Over 85 vendors from across the Southeast were present, each selling their own variety of goods, both handmade and manufactured. A variety of chocolates and candies were present, with the Double L’s Freeze-Dried Skittles being a crowd favorite.
People from our very own Athens Academy had stalls at the Market! Mrs. Megan Roberts, a fifth-grade social studies teacher, has her own business, Megan Roberts Studio/Artwork. Mrs. Roberts paints because for her, it’s a way of relaxing and de-stressing. She loves painting cairns, rocks placed on top of each other, because they symbolize balance. When asked about her favorite painting that is for sale at the Holiday Market, Mrs. Roberts gestured to the largest painting there: a 4ft x 5ft abstract acrylic landscape. She loves this painting so much because it makes her feel content. When she looks at it, she does not find any faults within the painting.
Nika Zalac, a sophomore at ACAD, runs her own business, Pink Beach. At Pink Beach, you can purchase a variety of items, such as jewelry, water bottles, clips, rings, necklaces, and so much more. When I asked Nika about her favorite product that she was selling, she brought up her cuff bangles. She makes them herself, and they are gold-stamped. Dyllan Adams, a sophomore at Athens Academy, purchased a beautiful ring from Pink Beach.
Mrs. Lorraine Thompson, an upper-school drama teacher, ran her own stand too! She sold a variety of beautiful collages. She pours her thoughts, emotions, and feelings into tangible emotions. Mrs. T loves artwork because she loses herself in it, and the freedom of being able to create absolutely anything you want. However, she also feels very vulnerable while creating artwork, because she is exposing her unfiltered feelings to the world.
There were several stalls with owners from outside the ACAD community as well. One of my favorites was a stall run by Precious Jones, the owner of MEplusTEA. She sold a variety of teas, with my favorite being the White Chocolate Peppermint tea. I drank some, and it was heavenly. Ms. Jones spoke passionately about her company’s journey. As a child, she personally grew herbs for tea. Now, they locally source the herbs used for the teas within Georgia. Her company’s bestselling teas are generally the loose-leaf ones, as they have a stronger flavor compared to regular tea bags.
Another stall was run by Sonia Antonini, an Italian businesswoman. At Tastenini, her company, she sells a variety of sauces that delight our taste buds. I sampled two flavors: the Italian Pesto, Tastenini’s best seller; and the Smoked Eggplant Pesto, Ms. Antonini’s personal favorite. I loved the Italian Pesto because it had so many strong flavors that seamlessly blended.
A bunch of Athens Academy students made purchases at the market. Emily Moscoso purchased a cup of freeze-dried Skittles along with an Enewton bracelet. Riley Muir bought a pearl cross necklace. Her favorite part of the holiday market is the opportunity to support growing small businesses. Leah Templin purchased freeze-dried strawberries, and Vivian Bott obtained two Enewton necklaces, a claw clip, and freeze-dried strawberries from the Holiday Market this year.
Overall, the Holiday Market was phenomenal in all aspects: it was a great fundraiser for ACAD, and it was extremely fun for both students and parents alike. I look forward to Athens Academy’s Twelfth Annual Holiday Market outshining this one!
