Local vendors adapt to weather at July's 'Second Saturday'

Shawn Farchild, of Gibson City, plays the guitar while attending to his table at the Second Saturday sidewalk sale in downtown Urbana on Saturday.
Ned Mulka The Daily Illini

Handmade tutus swaying in the wind. Balloons dripping with water. Tents lined up along downtown Urbana streets to block the rain from soaking hand-sewn doll clothes. This was the scene at the Second Saturday sale in downtown Urbana on Saturday. Second Saturday is a monthly street sale where local vendors can sell anything from concrete bowls to pencil sketches.

The rainy weather on Saturday created a few obstacles for some of the vendors at this month's sale.

Sandy Dorsey-Marrone, Urbana resident and owner of Lulu's Tutus, brought her homemade tutus to the sale. However, she needed to make extra preparations due to the rainy weather.

"I had to go out and buy this canopy last night at 9:30," Dorsey-Marrone said.

She said that the weather had not hurt her business.

Christina Chin, of Savoy, and Bryan Heaton, of Champaign, visit with Douglas Kistler, of Urbana, at his Concrete bowl stand at the Second Saturday sidewalk sale in downtown Urbana on Saturday. Heaton and Chin were at the farmer's market and passed by the event on their way to breakfast.

"It really has gone as well as I expected for it being my first Saturday," Dorsey-Marrone said. "For the weather I have actually done really well."

The weather at last month's sale was far different than the most recent sale.

"Last time there was good foot traffic," said Shawn Fairchild, of Gibson City.

Fairchild brought his handmade pottery to the sale. As a Parkland College student, he has been taking pottery classes for the past three years and started up Drummer Creek Pottery to sell it. Despite the weather, Fairchild felt that his time at the sale was well spent.

"Well, it rained today, but it could turn," he said. "Blind optimism, that's the key."

Elaine Oldham, of Champaign, was unable to sell her pencil drawn sketches due to the weather.

"It's all paper and that doesn't do well," Oldham said of the rain.

Oldham does sketches on sight for her customers. She said she likes working at the Second Saturday event in particular.

"I really like the fact that it's mid-morning until afternoon," she said. "I'm all by myself so there's no one to really give me a break, so I really like this particular event."

Jean Montgomery, of Champaign, decided to try to stick it out through the weather.

"People didn't seem to be buying that much," she said. "But I think the crowds will pick up."

Montgomery sells hand sewn American Girl doll clothes, custom-made pillowcases and oven mitts.

"I've been sewing for 55 years," she said, "This is all custom-made in my house."

Despite the weather, Dorsey-Marrone plans to try her luck at the sale again.

"It's kind of one of those things (where) you need money so you can figure out what you can do," she said. "I'll be here the next month, and the month after that."