A new kind of market is popping up in Port Royal. How the pandemic sparked the idea
A “popup” market that will bring Lowcountry-themed creative wares to the people without a traditional storefront is expanding in Port Royal, and 30 small businesses are lined up for the first event Saturday.
Lowcountry Made Port Royal, the latest location for a Lowcountry Made popup market, will feature fine artists, potters, florists, bakers and many others who produce home-made goods. They will be set up from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at Live Oaks Park, 904 14th St. The market will return at least one Saturday a month through December and sometimes twice.
Port Royal already hosts maybe the region’s best farmer’s market each Saturday morning at Ribaut Road and Pinckney Boulevard. But this market will feature art, pottery, lifestyle brands, flowers, baked goods and children’s boutiques, and will carry no produce.
“When you think artisan, it’s truly artisan,” says Katie Silva, the owner of Lowcountry Made. “It’s a bunch of different homemade things.”
Town Council members gave the idea their blessing earlier this month after being assured the weekend markets would not conflict with other events. Town Manager Van Willis said the farmer’s and artisan markets could compliment each other, with those attending the farmers market checking out the artisans market afterward.
Lowcountry Made, in which artists, artisans and “makers” sell creative wares in Bluffton, Hilton Head, Beaufort and Savannah, partners with local small businesses looking to grow and connect with shoppers through popup markets and events, which provide points of contact beyond a physical store or website.
Silva, who says she has a passion for “all things lovingly handcrafted,” founded Lowcountry Made, combining her marketing skills with an interest in the arts to strike out on her own after the hours in her marketing job were drastically reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I said, ‘You know what, I think I can start my own thing doing what I love.’”
Soon, Lowcountry Made popup markets were providing a safe platform for the small businesses to engage with shoppers, and the idea struck a chord.
Residents, it turned out, wanted to shop locally for handmade products in settings where they could meet the maker “and be part of the community,” Silva says. Since then, over 40 artisan markets have been held around the Lowcountry.
And the markets also have been an answer for many businesses who can’t afford extremely high commercial rent, Silva added.
“Opening a storefront in this area,” Silva says, “is nearly impossible for entrepreneurs.”
Popup markets, she says, have allowed small businesses to get a foothold in the community and grow without the cost of brick and mortar stores. Several of the businesses the company has been promoting, Silva said, have gone on to open stores, using Lowcountry Made as a stepping stone.
Some popups are hosted at local businesses such as the Bluffton Night Bazaar at Burnt Church Distillery on the first Thursday of the month. Monthly markets are located at city and town parks for consistency, such Buckwalter Park Place in Bluffton, which is held the first and third Saturdays, and now Port Royal.
“I didn’t expect it to be so big,” Silva says, “but everybody loves the market.”
Port Royal and Beaufort artisans requested markets in their neighborhood prompting the expansion to Port Royal, Silva said. The growth also gives artisans in Bluffton, Hilton Head and Savannah an opportunity to reach new communities.
Through social media such as Instagram and Facebook, Silva says, Lowcountry Made is able “to do a lot with a little to promote the businesses.”
Silva expects Lowcountry Made Port Royal “to be a super charming experience for the community.”
“Wherever we go, we want to promote that area and the surrounding businesses and the town,” Silva said.
What’s next
Lowcountry Made Port Royal will have artisans markets at Live Oaks Park on March 26, April 23, May 28, June 11, June 25, July 9, July 23, Aug. 13., Aug. 27, Sept. 10, Sept. 24, Oct. 8, Oct. 22, Nov. 12, Nov. 26 and Dec. 10. Times are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 12:36 PM.
