The Julietta Market gives shoppers a chance to put their money where their heart is.
Named for Lexington civil rights activist Julia Etta Lewis, the Julietta Market, a multi-vendor public market, will help carry on her vision for a more equitable city. The 23,000 square foot shopping destination, located in GreyLine Station, will offer striving small businesses the opportunity to grow in a low-risk environment by providing affordable rent in a beautiful, historic, climate-controlled space.
“The mission of Julietta Market is to be a place that is for, by, and about our neighbors; to be a place of coming-together and exchange and interaction and interdependence and mutual prosperity.”
The Julietta Market will also serve as a community and cultural hub encouraging members of the neighborhood to come together, meet one another, support one another, and boost the North Limestone (NoLi) economy. According to NoLi CDC Executive Director Kristofer Nonn, “The mission of Julietta Market is to be a place that is for, by, and about our neighbors; to be a place of coming-together and exchange and interaction and interdependence and mutual prosperity.”
Vendors will be showcasing a vast variety of unique products, including body butter, hemp products, homewares, handcrafted jewelry, clothing, art, and a range of delicious foods from homemade baked goods to international cuisine. Founder of UsSoaps, Jason Childers, who manufacturers all natural soaps and beard products states, “The Julietta Market is a perfect fit for our customers and our products. We are thrilled to be a part of this unique market space and the energy it will bring to Lexington.”
Though the NoLi CDC team is committed to helping each vendor “pursue their own dreams and see their aspirations realized,” Nonn says one shop holds a special place in his heart. After the untimely passing of NoLi CDC employee and small business owner Cubaka Nehemia Mutayongwa earlier this year, Nonn is thrilled to see his family carry on his entrepreneurial spirit. He says, “I am so excited that Cubaka’s legacy and passions can live on with his family continuing to operate his business, The Soda Pop Shop, and that it will be a part of Julietta Market.”
To help ensure each business succeeds, vendors are eligible to receive career coaching from Director of Small Businesses Development and Mentoring Leannia Haywood. Haywood says, “To be able to help someone do things they did not know they could do—or did not think was ever possible for them—is a reward within itself. Seeing people grow and reach their full potential, learning new things and winning in life is what ‘community development’ is about. And here at the Julietta Market, we are a community.”
Liz “Carrie” Commodore, owner of A Taste of Fall, a caramel and candy apple company, is grateful for the guidance. “Having a chance to grow my business with the support of the NoLi CDC means everything to me. This is my dream come true and knowing that I will have business mentoring and support every step of the way, is the icing on the cake for me,” says Commodore.
In closing, Joanne Couch of Handmade Hope Rags, a line featuring original hemp fashion apparel, vintage equestrian home decor and bourbon barrel artwork, sums up the excitement perfectly. She says, “Artists are a conduit of culture; connecting the financial infrastructure to the people’s needs by sharing our voice and vision so we can all share a communal dream. And nowhere else do my husband, children and I feel that is most tangible than being part of the burgeoning excitement here in the Julietta Market.”
The Julietta Market is located at the corner of Loudon Avenue and North Limestone in the GreyLine Station and will open to the public beginning November 14. For more information, go to nolicdc.org/julietta-market.
