The holiday season starts with a graceful small town ease-in at the Marshall Handmade Market this Saturday (10am - 5pm). Forget Black Friday and pure bedlam, if you want those one of a kind exquisite handcrafted items for friends and those special people, head here. The Market's being held at Marshall High Studios in Downtown Marshall, NC. There will be over 30 artists and craftspeople, soap, scents, local foods, handmade bread, organic honey, Doubletree Sorghum, 
Spinning Spider Creamery and hot food. The Butter Holler String Band will be playing live acoustic music - it's a great scene.Marshall's perhaps the most intriguing of all the small towns in Western North Carolina. Pocketed in a very narrow, steep valley, this ephemeral town has literally been swept off the map several times by the mighty French Broad River, but for all those who still believe, it's still here and ripe for the tasting.
Marshall High Studios (circa 1926 - 115 Blannahasset Island) where the Handmade Market's being held, floats on an island smack in the middle of the French Broad River, directly across from downtown. It was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places after a beautiful award winning restoration.
After you visit the Market there are a few other don't miss places in town; Lapland Books (12 - 6 pm) one of the most beautiful spaces in town, at 147 North Main Street and of course the ultimate Marshall destination - Penlands Department Store (7:30am - noon) , a fantastic vintage 30's-40's department store specializing in Carhart clothing and regional gifts at 50 North Main near the Arts Center All these places should be open from noon to four
Have dinner at Zuma's, Good Stuff or Bacchus Bistro and
then head over to "Come Let Us Adorn You" an Art and Fashion Show at the Arts Center (90 South Main Street). The art and fashion show runs from 7 - 9pm and is the second of its kind (clothing created with found objects), and down-home funky fun. Admission to the show is a donation of canned, or non-perishable food or cash to benefit "Neighbors in Need".End your well-spent day with a nightcap at Goodstuff (133 South Main Street) and live music from Jake Hollifield of the Blue Rags.
If you've never been to Marshall, head out this Saturday and explore the town and see what you've been missing. Marshall eases the holidays in - on the good foot, with a generous small town spirit. Isn't this really what the season's all about? If you see my friend Ann (a painter at Handmade Market), give her a hug from Ben and tell her I've got some peanut butter jars!
