When the floats and tractors finished their journey down Broad Street Saturday, visitors kept the celebration going with a stop at the Cupola House Colonial Market. It turned out to be another amazing shopping experience on Broad St. where shopping among the creative artisans turned into lengthy conversation.
The fourth annual market was organized by the Cupola House Association in conjunction with Edenton's Peanut Festival weekend, the event offered a convenient place to browse before and after the parade.
Beneath vendor canopies, tables displayed jewelry, artwork, books and decorative items. The Cupola House Association displayed kitchen towels almost too pretty to use. Old North Pewter offered a number of pieces with a story to tell. Seasonal wreaths hung overhead at the Edenton Woman's Club booth, where necklaces, bracelets and earrings invited a closer look. Members wearing club aprons greeted visitors amid displays that ranged from framed art to holiday decorations.
Nearby, Julia Townsend of The Peanut Factory offered a creative example of giving discarded materials a second life. Green, amber and clear drinking glasses made from recycled bottles stood in rows beside mesh bags of tumbled glass. A sign explained that the organization recycled Edenton's glass waste into drinking glasses, connecting local craftsmanship with resourcefulness.
The market also gave its youngest visitors an opportunity to create something of their own. At a craft table, children leaned over brown paper bags, carefully adding decorations with colorful markers. Stickers, yarn and a basket of beads spread across the table offered plenty of possibilities, while adults helped nearby.
Those small moments added to the market's appeal: children concentrating on their projects, shoppers examining jewelry and neighbors pausing to talk beneath the canopies.
GFWC Edenton's Woman's Club First Vice President Karen Parks offered one of the high points of the market. Ham and Biscuit sandwiches, prepared by Jerry Parks disappeared as rapidly as they were offered.
Before the event, organizers reported that vendor participation had grown each year and anticipated filling the garden to capacity. Saturday's varied displays offered visitors opportunities to find a gift, or simply enjoy browsing.
The historic surroundings gave the marketplace a character of its own. Built in 1758 by Francis Corbin, the Cupola House overlooks Edenton Bay. Its preservation grew from a community effort in 1918, and the restored house and formal gardens provided a fitting backdrop for an event that brought local organizations, vendors and families together.
With the 51st annual Peanut Parade traveling south along Broad Street toward the waterfront, the market was a natural next stop. Its afternoon hours gave parade goers time to linger and explore.
Across downtown, the festival's lineup also included the Farmers Market, educational booths and food trucks on East King Street, and "Peanuts on Porches" musical performances near the Courthouse Green.
Jay luckily purchases one of the last of the GFWC Edenton Woman's Club Ham & Biscuit's from First Vice President Karen Parks. Many said the ham and biscuit treats were the best they had ever tasted. Chef Jerry Parks prepared the treats, leaving many asking for more.
