Food vendors will also be scattered throughout the road market, including Mackie’s Munchies, which will feature kettle corn, pork rinds and lemonade slushies at the Chamber of Commerce in Elkin.
Courtesy: Mackie’s Munchies
Even shoppers who are laser-focused on scoring a vintage find during the U.S. 21 Road Market this weekend may let their focus stray when hunger strikes or perhaps if they are in the vicinity of Mackie’s Munchies.
“Fresh popcorn fills up the entire area with its smell and that’s what brings in the people,” said Morgan Burris, of Lexington, whose family booth Mackie’s Munchies will be selling kettle corn, pork rinds and lemonade slushies outside the Chamber of Commerce in Elkin this weekend.
This will be Burris’ third time working the road market, which begins Friday. Burris and her family inevitably slip away from their booth to shop the eclectic wares. She has some tips for shoppers.
“I would definitely tell people to pace themselves and stop at multiple locations. Just right around the corner there might be some fabulous vendors,” she said. “Sometimes you’ll find a little old lady selling stuff out of her attic and then you’ll find professional crafts people right next to each other.”
And not all wares can be toted off in the family minivan.
“You never know what you can find,” said Andrew Mackie, coordinator for the market in Yadkin County. “Two years ago, I saw an old tractor for sale in the morning. When I drove by in the afternoon, it was gone and presumed sold.”
Mackie added that colorful road market commemorative T-shirts will be for sale this year, as well.
Elkin town officials asked patrons to be cognizant of road construction.
“Visitors heading northbound on I-77 to U.S. 21 from Harmony (exit 54) will need to stay on the main U.S. 21 route heading north, as this will keep them separated from the I-77 construction traffic and bring them through Jonesville and Elkin along the best road market route,” said Laura Gaylord, Main Street and Community Manager. Coming from I-77, “we recommend taking Jonesville exits 79 or 82 to head north on Business U.S. 21, which is where the vendors will be set up … the jackpot for treasures will be in our historic downtown, one block south of Main Street, with dozens of vendors on both sides of U.S. 21.”
Vendors run from early morning to the dinner hour Friday through Sunday, with the prime hours being around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In Elkin, visitors are encouraged to stay for the evening to enjoy:
-Friday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Downtown Elkin Block Party along West Main Street
-Saturday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Downtown Elkin Cruise-In, one block south of Main Street.
-Saturday, 8 p.m.: Live music at The Reeves Theater featuring The Reeves House Band with music from The Eagles (visit reevestheater.com for tickets)
For more information on this weekend’s road market, visit www.takeabreakfromtheinterstate.org or visit its Facebook page.
Lisa Michals may be reached at 336-448-4968 or follow her on Twitter @lisamichals3.