When local entrepreneur Vicky Lieb got the idea for Buzzy Bee Farmer’s Market, she was hoping to address a gap in Greenville’s weekend schedule. Having already been a vendor at New Realm Brewing Co.’s markets, she decided to start there.
Lieb is owner of Vicky Beeds, a jewelry and crystal business. The store started as an online boutique before it moved to Rutherford Road, then to Greenville’s TD Saturday Market and eventually to New Realm.
“There’s no markets on Sundays in Greenville,” Lieb recalled telling the event management team at the brewery. “Someone needs to start a market.”
Shortly after bringing the idea to New Realm, it began to take shape. The market is a collaborative effort with Lieb as coordinator and New Realm as its venue. Lieb curates the atmosphere of the market and designed the logo and business plan.
If all goes according to plan, come Sept. 7 Buzzy Bee Farmer’s Market will be open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will take place on the grassy area adjacent to New Realm Brewing at 912 S. Main St. Leading up to the event, New Realm is holding events to build buzz for the Sunday market.
It held Psychedelic Rabbit Fest April 20 and has events planned for May 16, May 23, June 13 and July 26. New Realm’s event coordinator, Carly Reinholtz, said the April 20 event was a great success.
“[Lieb] is actually a vendor that I have worked with since we opened here and she’s always been one of my favorite people to work with,” Reinholtz said. “And so when she came to me with the idea, it was fantastic.”
The farmers market is currently accepting vendor applications. The vendor cutoff date is July 7. There is a $30 vendor fee per event which covers marketing, setup and licensing for the market. There is no application fee.
“The main goal for me is to bring the community together, but giving vendors a place where they can sell their wares and be successful in their own communities,” Lieb said.
Adding to that, there will be limited space for nonprofit organizations with no vendor fee attached. The market will hold a capacity of roughly 50 with interchanging vendors for each iteration.
Those interested in submitting a vendor application can visit Buzzy Bee’s Instagram.
