Gather & Grow: Where Beauty, Art & Community Flourish
Looking Back at Our Fall Market at Refresh Beauty Lounge
Well, we did it again! Our second Gather & Grow Market took place on September 20th, and what a fun afternoon it was at Refresh Beauty Lounge!
We were hoping to welcome fall with some cooler temperatures, but apparently South Carolina had other plans! It was definitely a little warmer than we'd hoped, and while we didn't have quite the turnout we had for our spring market in March, it was still a wonderful afternoon of shopping, visiting, and supporting some pretty amazing local small businesses.
One of my favorite things about hosting community events at our South Carolina beauty salon is watching our parking lot completely transform. What is normally just a place to park your car becomes this fun little marketplace filled with vendors, handmade goodies, delicious treats, and people enjoying each other's company.
We had some familiar faces return from our spring event and welcomed several new vendors, too!
Of course, Rosie, our favorite pink plant bus, was back! She's always such a hit, and I love stepping inside to see all the beautiful plants and accessories. We also had everything from amazing coffee to locally grown goodies from Outside Alive Farms, along with so many other creative small businesses.
It's really fun to see what everyone brings to the table, quite literally!
Why We Started Gather & Grow
I've always loved going to farmers markets and local artisan events. I love wandering around, seeing what people have created, finding something unique, and getting to know the people behind the businesses.
So naturally, I thought, why not bring a little of that to Refresh?
Being a small business owner myself, I know how much time, energy, and heart goes into building something you're proud of. And I love the idea of creating an opportunity for other local creators to share what they do while bringing our community together.
That's really what Gather & Grow is all about.
It's not meant to be anything fancy or complicated. Just a fun afternoon where people can come out, shop local, meet some new faces, and enjoy being part of the community.
Come On In and Take a Look Around!
Just like our spring market, we invited several vendors to set up inside Refresh Beauty Lounge, too!
I really love this part of hosting Gather & Grow.
Not only does it give our guests more shopping to enjoy, but it also gives people a chance to step inside our local hair salon and take a look around.
I often wonder how many people drive past our salon, maybe notice it, or have been curious about us but haven't had a reason to stop in yet. This is the perfect opportunity!
We put photos and little bios of each of our expert hair stylists at their stations so people could get to know our team a bit. That way, when someone picked up a business card, they could actually put a face to the name.
We also had mimosas and lemonade available for everyone to enjoy while browsing. Nothing too elaborate, especially since our vendors had plenty of delicious snacks and treats to choose from!
Our hope was simply that people would feel welcome, comfortable, and maybe a little more familiar with Refresh by the time they left.
After all, you don't have to have a hair appointment to stop in and say hello!
The Best Part of the Day
For me, one of the best parts was just walking around outside and taking it all in.
Seeing our parking lot filled with all these different businesses, people chatting, vendors sharing their products, and everyone enjoying the afternoon was really rewarding.
I think sometimes we forget just how many talented and creative people we have right here in our own community.
And that's what I love most about local markets. You never know what you're going to find or who you're going to meet!
Sure, we would have loved a few more people to come out, and maybe a little less sunshine and a little more fall breeze. But that didn't take away from what made the day special.
It was another opportunity to bring people together, introduce some wonderful local businesses, and open our doors to the community.
And I'd call that a success!
We'll See You in the Spring!
A big thank-you to all of our vendors, both returning and new, for being part of our fall Gather & Grow!
And thank you to everyone who came out, shopped, visited, shared our event, or simply stopped by to see what was happening.
We appreciate you more than you know!
We're already looking ahead to our next Gather & Grow, which we're hoping to host sometime in March 2027.
So stay tuned, because we'd love to see you there!
Until then, keep supporting your local small businesses. You never know how much your visit, purchase,
or even a simple recommendation can mean to someone who's working hard to build something they love.
See you around Refresh!
All the Love,
Refresh Beauty Lounge
Gather & Grow — Where Beauty, Art & Community Flourish