Market at Tift gearing up for 10th year in Albany

ALBANY — On one of the shortest days of the year, a 24-hour period when a rare severe cold front has plunged southwest Georgia down to temperatures of 20 or below, it’s hard to imagine the warmth and light that will return in the spring.

But for the Tift Park Market, the coming of March is already on its calendar.

And to the partial surprise, and vast delight, of Friends of Tift Park President Stephen Brimberry, the market has a reason to celebrate: the March opening will be the event’s 10th.

There was some reservation expressed in the community early on about the staying power of the market, held each first Saturday of the month from March through October.

But it has drawn a mixture of locals who frequent it regularly and visitors from as far away as the land down under. About 500 people come out on a given Saturday to buy everything from fresh vegetables to vinyl record albums.

“We’re still a destination for out-of-towners,” Brimberry said. “We’ve had people from as far away as Australia.”

While part of the philosophy is one man’s junk is another’s treasure, the market is more than just a place to buy and sell things. For some, it is a monthly social outing and chance to make or maintain connections forged at the monthly shopping and entertainment venue.

“It’s been a great connection for friendships,” Brimberry said. “It’s not always about making money; it’s about showing Albany in a unique way.

“I think if you went around the community and asked them, they would tell you the same thing, especially our seniors.”

An example of the camaraderie of the market is that a 90-year-old Albany woman chose it as the site for her birthday party. Assessing that her apartment was too small for a party, she announced she would be celebrating on a Saturday at the park.

“We had people come out and bring her cards and gifts,” Brimberry said. “It’s become more than a market, I guess. That’s what we wanted when we started; we wanted Tift Park to have more memories.”

While Tallahassee, Fla., has a community market that opens with bagpipes, the Friends’ president envisions opening with a lion’s roar. The location was once the site of the Tift Park Zoo, and a resident male lion was in the habit of greeting the day with his unique call.

“I’d like to see that connection,” Brimberry said. “I’d like to open our market with a lion’s roar because residents in that neighborhood used to wake up to a lion’s roar. It’s something that represents the zoo.”

After years of promises by the city of Albany to bring more life to Tift Park fell flat, including tennis courts for which money was collected in a penny sales tax but then spent for another purpose, Brimberry said, he is resigned that the city government won’t be investing any time soon.

On another occasion the park was promised the placement of some antique lights that were removed from other locations. That also fell through, he said.

Brimberry said he thinks Albany could be more of a destination city for activities outside of business and shopping with some support, not only at the park but downtown and for other attractions as well.

He pointed to Thomasville and Tifton, where vibrant downtowns bring people to both shop and enjoy the scene, as examples of what he envisions.

But for now, those looking for the different and unique, for the chance to socialize, Tift Market is still there and looking to be better and bigger when the weather warms and people from Albany and beyond look to shake off the wintertime blues.

File Photo: Tara Fletcher