Where the Wildflowers Grow // A Southern Marketplace
The 2024 Spring Barn Sale event at Acres of Grace Farms in Red Boiling Springs, TN is just a month away!
Photo collage with singer-songwriter Justin Cole of Glasgow, KY (center) surrounded by snapshots I took at the 2023 spring sale.
You might be wondering why I’m sharing about a barn sale across the state line in Tennessee, and that would be because this sale and I go wayyy back. All the way back, in fact— I grew up just down the road from Acres of Grace Farms and know the Smith and Patterson families as next-door neighbors, so of course I’ll always be happy to show up with my camera in hand!
Home decor by Isaiah 40:31 Custom Designs
April Smith Patterson, who runs A Southern Marketplace with Molly Cooper and maintains the property on which the sale takes place with her husband Nick and family, has a passion for educating others about the agricultural industry and opportunities available in Clay County, TN and the Upper Cumberland area.
What better way to bring attention to this mission than to create a platform for local farmers, craftsmen, artists, and small businesses to showcase & share what they can bring to the table?
Baked goods from A Farmer’s Wife
Basket-weaver Barbara Boone at work (Barbara’s Handmade Baskets)
Custom decorated cookies by Megan’s Made with Love Cookies
Hence, A Southern Marketplace Barn Sale began in 2017 using the two Smith family generational barns on property (the signature big white barn and the old red barn facing the pond) and has since expanded over the past seven years to be a triannual event held every Spring, Fall, and Winter. It now includes another open-air shelter, a big white tent (or sometimes 2), a ring of mobile boutiques around the pond, a fully furnished silo-turned-Airbnb rental, a ring of mobile food vendors at the sale entrance, and most recently a full agro-tourism experience including children’s activities and educational demonstrations beyond the main sale area.
To me, A Southern Marketplace has been a huge success over the past few years, bringing in thousands of visitors to each sale— for those not familiar with the RBS/Clay County area, that is huge!
Here’s a look at last year’s sale!
This year’s Spring event is themed “Where the Wildflowers Grow” and will be taking place next month on May 3rd & 4th. It will be hosting 80+ vendors from across the Upper Cumberland and Barrens of Southern Kentucky— a wide range of local farmers, artists, craftsmen, and small businesses, all excited to welcome and show you what the hills of Appalachia have to offer beyond pickin’ and sippin’ in Music City or the tourist attractions in the Great Smoky Mountains. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a detour to stop and stroll through!
It’s no wild shendig, but you’ll definitely find a warm welcome with plenty of family friendly shopping, tasty eats, and live entertainment!
Here’s how you can find more info from them yourselves, as well as a vendor lineup and directions from your neck of the woods:
A Southern Marketplace Website
A Southern Marketplace on Facebook
A Southern Marketplace Spring 2024 Facebook Event Page
The Huli Hut - If you’re a fan of Disney World like I am, you can get a taste of home away from home here with a Dole Whip!!
Need photo and/or video coverage of your next event? I would love to be your photographer, so don’t hesitate to send an email my way. You can find my event coverage packages just below, or if you have a specific idea or need in mind I am more than happy to chat!
Feel free to share with any friends and vendors you recognize above! ✨