Melville’s market brings heart to the community
The paper headed on over to the market to find out just how this small market brings warmth to the community.
What it might lack in size, the Melville Market makes up for in heart.
Found on the corners of Carlow and Rustenburg roads, this market is held on most Saturday mornings between 09:00 and 14:00.
One of its longest participating vendors, Cathy Dell, said she has been part of the market for the past 17 years. She initially joined when she was a duck farmer.
“I would walk the whole of Melville, from 4th Avenue and 7th Street with my ducks so that I could sell them and since joining the market, I have never looked back,” she said.
The market has been at its current location, close to the tennis courts, for about eight years, working sure to stay true to its farmer’s market roots.
Dell said what makes markets like this so special is that they stay true to their need to be local, organic and natural, and make it a point to stay distinctly African which is what this market has always tried to be.
Coupled with this is the undeniable sense of family, with each vendor coming to know each well and happily lending a helping hand where they think they can aid a fellow vendor.
The market has various stalls that cater to most community needs.
One vendor, Carole Pennequin, who sells knitted goods, said she had been with the market for the past month and through it, has met a lot of people who, like her, love to knit.
Along with the great assortment of goods to purchase, some guests of the market also brought along their dogs to be microchipped at the Beagle Watch stall. The private security company finds this an important service to provide as they often find lost dogs within the community that have not been chipped.
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