CHARLOTTE HALL, MD — Locals who have been here a while call it the St. Mary’s County Mall.
Called the Charlotte Hall Farmers Market, many flock to the location on Wednesdays and Saturdays to try their luck with finding the best deal on merchandise such as imported home goods to live small animals to genuine antiques.
One patron said that he had traveled all the way from Arizona to visit family, and stopped by the market to see what kind of deals he could find.
“You just can’t find anything like this out west,” he said.
While wandering past the stalls selling incense, ninja stars, and DVDs, I came across a young man named Austin, who was selling lemonade, snow-cones, and a variety of other cold treats for less than dollar each. His stand was painted with the image “Johnny’s World Famous Lemonade.”
“Johnny is my uncle, and he manned this stand when he was a kid, and now I get to do it,” said Austin. “I’m trying to save up money for myself. Probably for a car or college or something like that.”
Many of the vendors nearby were thankful that Austin was providing cold treats on such a hot Saturday.
I spoke with Arty and Olivia, who were in stalls 303 and 304 selling genuine antiques. Stepping into their store, I saw a variety of merchandise, ranging from colorful dishware from the 70’s, to a crocodile leather handbag, to desks and other home goods.
“The best part about this market is the people. The location is the perfect place to meet. If you look hard enough, you can find pretty much anything here,” said Olivia.
Arty mentioned that many people don’t come back to their shop because they see the variety of products towards to front of the market.
“I’ve got a friend who won’t come here anymore because they see all of the mass produced stuff, and don’t try to search any deeper here. If you’re not taking the time to explore everything offered here, you’re really missing out,” said Arty.
Another gem of a shop at the market is Toyman-X, a child’s dream with mint condition toys stacked from floor to ceiling. Merchandise available spans interests from vintage Barbie dolls, Star Wars figurines, LEGOs, and the newest Marvel toys. A variety of Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Beanie Babies and more were also available for purchase. The owner, Bill, goes by Mr. X when he’s at the Charlotte Hall Farmers Market.
“I do it for the toys. I’ve been here for 27 years and it’s something you have to experience for yourself,” said Bill.
While interviewing Bill, one of his employees came to him with two almost identical toys in hand, asking which one’s arms moved. He took the time to explain the differences between the two before turning back to me.
“I tell people to come down here while they can because it may not be here that much longer. The owner passed away recently, and while the property is in his family’s hands, we may only have five to six years left to enjoy everything here,” said Bill.
For more information about the Charlotte Hall Farmers Market, check out their website or Facebook page.
Contact Jacqui Atkielski at j.atkielski@thebaynet.com.
