The Market
The Market sells produce, flowers and home decorations in Chelsea. Photo by Erica Techo.
The Market
11 Highway 36 (Intersection of Hwy 39 and Hwy 36) Chelsea
516-9358
Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sat. 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sun. 12 p.m.-7 p.m.
A new place for fresh, local produce and flowers has opened in Chelsea.
The Market, located at the intersection of Highway 39 and Highway 36, is owned by Gina Long and Billy Simmons. The two used to have a similar shop in Calera but decided to move locations after spending time in the Chelsea area.
“I work this area a lot, [I have] a lot of friends in this area, and I thought this might be a good location for it,” Long said. “The community here has been very receptive.”
The small store at The Market has baskets of local fruit and vegetables as well as local honey, boiled peanuts and Amish Jams. The local honey has been especially popular, Long said, possibly because of its potential to provide allergy relief. Outside of the store, the lawn is filled with flowers, shrubs and trees as well as stone lawn decorations and wooden swings.
“We build our own wooden swings, so we can custom build anything out of the wood that someone wants,” Long said. “They can design it.”
Swings are offered with and without frames and can be painted or left plain. The Market also offers a way to show team spirit with swings that say “Roll Tide,” “War Eagle,” and “Auburn.” Swings with other phrases can also be made, and Long said she has had requests for a “Go Dawgs” option.
The Market is open from Wednesday to Sunday, and the owners keep Monday and Tuesday reserved for restocking produce and flowers. But that doesn’t mean there’s no possibility of shopping at The Market on those days.
“I always tell people, if they catch us here, come on in. You’re welcome to come in,” Long said. “In fact that happened yesterday. And that’s always fine; I always tell them that. I just don’t want people to count on us being here Monday and Tuesday.”
Long and Simmons are open to suggestions from shoppers and community members, including new products people would like to see in the store. How long The Market remains open will also depend on continued community support and feedback.
“If we have enough support, we’re going to be year round. Otherwise, we’ll just be seasonal,” Long said. “That’s something we’re playing by ear.”
