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Chester County Press

Kennett Holiday Village Market debuts this Saturday

11/29/2016 03:39PM ● By Steven Hoffman

A new holiday event will debut this weekend as the Kennett Holiday Village Market opens at The Creamery of Kennett Square at 401 Birch Street on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. The hours for the Kennett Holiday Village Market are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Mary Hutchins, the executive director of Historic Kennett Square, described the Kennett Holiday Village Market as a curated open-air artisan market filled with unique holiday gift options from local and regional vendors.

In addition to the opportunity to find unique gifts, guests during the two-day event will enjoy food trucks, ice sculptures, and seasonal craft workshops. Christmas trees and greenery will also be available.

Hutchins explained that Historic Kennett Square was initially approached by officials in Kennett Township about the possibility of organizing a village market, and soon Kennett Township, Historic Kennett Square, the Borough of Kennett Square, and the Creamery were collaborating on making plans for the new event.

Whitney Hoffman, a supervisor in Kennett Township, is credited with being the person who first suggested that a village market would work well in Kennett Square.

“My husband and I took a trip to visit his sister in France near Christmas, and I was impressed by the different holiday villages they had in almost every town,” Hoffman explained. “People sold lovely local crafts and gifts, there was food and drink and music, and the community really seemed to come together. When I started thinking about what we could do to extend the holiday season for the Kennett area from the Holiday parade the day after Thanksgiving through the Mushroom Drop on New Year's Eve, this sort of outdoor community-centered event seemed perfect. It would provide an additional destination for all the Longwood visitors, and bring more folks into Kennett Square, helping people appreciate all the great things we have to offer.”

Officials in both Kennett Square and Kennett Township responded very positively to the idea, Hoffman said.

“I was so excited that Mary and Historic Kennett Square thought it was a good idea,” she explained. “We got the new Township Sustainable Development Office involved, and the folks from the Creamery and Longwood were excited as well. We're even getting the school district involved, and its a nice way for the kids in the music program to get an opportunity to perform for the wider community.”

The Creamery's decision to host the Kennett Holiday Village Market this year helped move the event forward.

“While we have thought about things like whether we need to build the more traditional sheds or buildings that many villages use, or how much space we might need, Mike Bontrager and the whole team responsible for the Creamery generously offered their space,” Hoffman explained. “It couldn't be better, and it's a great place to see if the community will like the event, and if it can become an annual holiday tradition. I'm glad we're starting off with a weekend this year, and if it works well, we might try it for a longer period next year.”