- September 18, 2024
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The new West Oaks Farmers Market launched Sept. 13 in the West Oaks Mall in Ocoee.
Moya Franceshi, left, came to support her fiance Gregory McLeod, the creator behind the new farmers market.
Adeline Cruz, owner of Dipped by Ade, worked on putting together a deliciously sweet order for a hungry customer.
Angie Harris, owner of Hope Designs, showed off her personalized creations on items including decals, wreaths and customized T-shirts.
Tiffany Hutson ran the Julia Norvella Creations table, which included candles, oils and other scented items.
Stacey Peterson, left, and Patty Kaufman ran the Stacey’s Crafts table together.
The Flour Den family business was operated by Meghan, left, Jace, Charlotte and Robert Phillips.
Maria Serna represented Lola’s Artesanias at the West Oaks Farmers Market.
Locals were thrilled that Get Just Desserts owner Christy Lowery-Qualls was one of the vendors at the new farmers market.
Sarah Quintero, owner of Flip & Sip, and Brandon Grisham helped to serve customers a multitude of coffee and tea drinks, accompanied by a small book selection.
Monji Ben Hamed, center, and his sons Karim Ben Hamed, left, and Ali Ben Hamed walked over from their family store Look Sharp, located next to the market, to purchase some sweet treats.
A new farmers market located in the city of Ocoee will mutually benefit West Orange County residents, the West Oaks Mall and local vendors.
The West Oaks Farmers Market, created by Gregory McLeod, officially launched Friday, Sept. 13.
The market will be set up from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays on the side of the mall closest to JCPenney and Saturdays on the side of the mall closest to Dillard’s.
The market offers 100% local produce, as well as a vast selection of sweet treats, home decor and accessories, candles, books, wreaths, clothing, and more.
“I pretty much grew up in the Pine Hills area and would frequent the West Oaks Mall as a kid/teenager,” McLeod said. “So, it holds many memories and is almost nostalgic when I go there now. … I first thought about the idea while at work. I try to go to farmers markets myself as much as I can, but living in Florida the weather permits most of our outdoor events. This gave me the idea to have an indoor farmers market. That way, we could operate rain or shine. I did some research and contacted the general manager of the West Oaks Mall with a proposal, and she loved it. So, here we are!”
A FRESH START
McLeod has been to many local markets in the past and loved the energy and good vibes he got everytime he went.
“There aren't any farmers markets in the Ocoee area that I've seen or heard of, so I thought this would be a perfect spot,” he said. “Also, I think this is the perfect way to help some of the small businesses in the area reach more customers. The idea came out of nowhere, actually. It almost slapped me in the face when I was thinking of where we could open an indoor farmers market. Then, I remembered, like most malls, the West Oaks Mall is almost always empty and unused.”
The market is starting off with about 10 vendors, which include Dipped by Ade, Get Just Desserts, The Flour Den, Stacey’s Crafts, Julia Norvella Creations, Flip & Sip, Hope Designs, Lola’s Artesanias and JAC Designz.
Local participating vendor Christy Lowery-Qualls, of Get Just Desserts, first heard about the market on Facebook.
“I’m known as the local cake person, and everyone’s always asking me if I’m doing any events or selling my product, so I thought it would be a great opportunity,” she said. “I made other desserts in addition to cakes for the market, and I love that its local and its helping the community. I think it’s going to help everyone involved. We really need something to help bring people back to this mall. My hope would is that this brings a stronger sense of community back to Ocoee.”
The market also will feature live music from local artists, including Jordan Mohr, a local country singer and songwriter, who performed Saturday, Sept. 14.
In the future, McLeod hopes to expand the market to include about 20 to 25 vendors.
He hopes to spread the word about the market and encourage more small businesses to get involved.
“I am most excited about seeing everyone gathered inside the mall and giving one of my favorite places to visit as an adolescent a new breath of life,” he said. “I just can’t wait to see what comes next.”
For more information on the new West Oaks Farmers Market, contact McLeod at [email protected].
