Rocky Top’s holiday Market Crawl brings shoppers to downtown

December 4, 2024 by G. Chambers Williams III

With several new businesses cropping up in downtown Rocky Top over the past two years, merchants got together this year to produce their first Christmas Market Crawl event last Saturday.

Several business owners who participated in the event said they were pleased with the turnout, which kept them busy all day with shoppers who came prepared to spend money and discover what Rocky Top has to offer.

Two big trays of cookies were laid out for shoppers in South Main Furniture and Mercantile, at 522 South Main St., where co-owners Maria Hooks and Jeff Fredricks opened their antiques and home décor store in June in a century-old building that started out as a country store.

Hooks, who also is human-relations director at Powell Clinch Utility District in Rocky Top and heads the Rocky Top Chamber of Commerce, said in the early afternoon that the store had been busy all day.

“We’ve really been pleased with the traffic,” she said of the shoppers in the store.

Among other downtown businesses taking part in the event were the Coal Creek General Store, opened by Clinton developer and auctioneer Jason Deel in September 2023 at 331 S. Main St., in the previous Lake City Auction House; Thrifty Treasures antiques and home décor at 305 S. Main St., which opened in March in the former Rocky Top Dentistry building; and Coal Creek Coffee, opened last year by Jesse and Nikki Dymond.

There also were outside vendors who set up tables in several locations, including the parking lot between South Main Furniture and Mercantile and Truest Bank, and several food trucks or trailers.

Santa Claus, also known as Jeff Chance, was on hand to visit with children inside South Main Furniture and Mercantile.