...Ready for it? Taylor Swift Market is Saturday in downtown Cornwall
Saturday could be the best day for shopping in downtown Cornwall.
A Taylor Swift Market — Meet Me Behind the Mall (literally) — will be held Saturday, but call it what you want because it's a place in the world where Swifties will almost certainly feel happiness and possibly be a little breathless, with perhaps upwards of 15 vendors offering a variety of Swift-inspired products.
“There'll be a good mixture of products being sold,” said Chelsea Malyon, small-business owner and main organizer of the firsttime market and, of course, a huge Swift fan who has seen the iconic singer-songwriter in concert on several occasions.
The three anchor stores for the market are all on lower Pitt Street and just in the shadows of Cornwall Square: Love and Lee Apparel, Essential Kitchen and Carrots N' Dates. The vendor lineup list for the event includes Birch Haus, Cabin Design Co., Dazzling Costumes, Lawrence Ave. Jewelry, M's Sweets, Meghan Sparks Photography, Our Fox Valley, Relove Dress Rentals, The Pink Ladybug and Unwind.
Malyon runs an online hair accessory business called Bend & Snap, and, when she designed Swift-inspired items for it, never in her wildest dreams did she think there'd be so much interest. Long story short, that's what inspired the downtown market.
“I don't know if (other Swift-inspired markets) exist — I figure they must, though,” Malyon said.
Actually, it's not ours alone — there's a place in this world for these types of events, including in Melbourne, Australia, in February, and March in Fort Langley, B.C. But, at least for Cornwall, everything has changed in recent years, with the downtown area having a younger vibe, with a lot of female entrepreneurs leading the charge; Pitt Street is developing a reputation for having well-attended specialty markets.
Saturday's theme event is an unofficial kickoff to outdoor spring strolling in the retail area. Do note, as it's still early April and the weather can be delicate, with showers possible Saturday, all vendors will set up inside the blankspace areas of the anchor stores, so go ahead and come in with the rain, then stay, stay, stay.
Malyon is confident Swifties will shake it off and tolerate Mother Nature because, well, this is what you came for: special attractions such as three different backdrops for a Swift-themed photo shoot, a painting pallet for cookies and, of course, a friendship bracelet bar because it's nice to have a friend.
Keep eyes open for specially-taylor-ed drinks, some of them possibly sweeter than fiction.
Organizers said it should be a lot of fun for not only the young, but Swifties of all ages — parents most likely won't need to say, “you're on your own, kid.”
So it goes for five hours, starting at 10 a.m. Shoppers in mid-afternoon may be asking is it over now, because at 3 p.m. it will be. But you need to calm down because it's probably not the last time a Swiftthemed market will be held in the city. Based on the reception for the debut effort, organizers could offer this event evermore, as Swift's popularity may not wane any time soon, with new generations of fans enjoying the music.
Malyon, the event's mastermind, said her two young daughters, Malya, eight, and Mika, six, Stang are “huge Swifties, they always want to listen to (Swift) when we're in the vehicle.”
Both Malya and Mika will be helping mom on Saturday; the event is being held in partnership with Love and Lee owner Kelsey Lee, as well as Allison St-louis and Lydia Mcintosh.