The Charming - and Original - Big City Bread Holiday Market Returns In Athens, Ga.

Athens may be bursting with 40 holiday markets and open house sales this holiday season, but in 1998, there was basically only one: the Big City Bread Holiday Market, which started them all.

"It's very charming," says artist Jamie Voivedich. "It's almost magical with the lights and the smoke. And sometimes there's like misty foggy snow. You see everybody you know. There are dogs there, and good food. And the displays are really nice. I do a lot of shows, but I wouldn't call any of them charming the way Big City Bread is. It's got its own charm."

"It's what I fell in love with when we first came to Athens," says Matthew Scott, who bought Big City Bread Café in 2005 with his wife, Deenan Scott. "I came to the market, and it was like a Norman Rockwell painting. There were carolers and folk musicians, and everybody bundled up because it was freezing cold. And there were really cool things to buy. When I heard there was an opportunity to buy Big City Bread, that was the first thing that came to my mind, having the opportunity to be part of the market." He adds, "Credit should be paid to Carol and Carl."

Designers and artists Carol John and her husband Carl Martin originally bought the building at the corner of Meigs Street and North Finley Street for their D.O.C. Unlimited office. They transformed the asphalt parking lot, which sloped from the front of the building to the street, into the beautiful walled courtyard that patrons enjoy today. In tune with their plans to make the corner a friendly communal environment, they rented the front portion of the building to Jim Payne and Ella Silverman, who opened the Big City Bread bakery.

During one of the first courtyard events, a springtime holiday market, someone suggested they have an evening market with lights like ones in Europe. That led to the December holiday market and the signature lights in the Big City Bread trees.

"Through R. Wood and Rinne Allen we found a lot of artists who really were into it, and that first year was just a great success," says Carol. “No one had experienced anything like that before in Athens. They loved the fireplaces and music, so we just started that tradition."

Part of the tradition of the Big City Bread Holiday Market is the unpredictable weather, including rain, snow and wind.

"One year, Lou Kregel was going to set up this beautiful backdrop that she'd painted and she was going to have people pose in front of it," says Carol. "And then it was just the windiest two nights ever, where it kept blowing over, and she just packed up and went home and was like, forget it. We said, 'Come on, Lou! Try! We'll help you!'" (Laughs.)

But neither rain nor wind nor snow could threaten the real beauty of the annual market.

"For me, a really lovely thing was, Carl's mom and grandma would come over from Birmingham for the market, and they would sit out here [in the courtyard]," says Carol. "I remember the last time they were here, Carl's grandmother was about 104 and just having the best time of her life. So I think that's another nice part of the market for me - and I think it's still that way - it's all the different ages, like the grandparents and the babies."

The market became an Athens tradition with a life of its own in 2009 when Carol was ready to move on and others picked up the torch to keep it going.

"It was time for me to focus on new projects," says Carol. "And then everyone was like, well, we want to do it. Can we? And I was like, go for it."

A group of artists continued the market as the Railroad Arts District Holiday Market at the Chase Park warehouses for two years, before returning it to its original Big City Bread home last year. Now Jamie Voivedich (Soup Studios), Brent Swanson (Normaltown Woodworks), Ryan Adams (lamps), Ansley Moore Beacham (Songbird Soaps) and Kenneth Kase (jewelry) run the market with the enthusiastic cooperation of Matthew, who helps with advertising and offers a festive menu at the cafe.

"There will be holiday pastries, hot chocolate and coffee drinks," says Matthew. "We'll do an Andouille sausage gumbo, New England clam chowder, maybe a vegetarian white bean soup and a tomato soup. Plus our lunch menu, so burgers and sandwiches - and beer and wine."

Undaunted by the past wind storm, Lou Kregel (design prints) returns to the market this year with over 40 fellow artists and artisans, including 3 Porch Farm (wreaths and organic gifts), Laurel Hill (jewelry), See Dan Paint (ornaments and artwork), Leslie Snipes (original art), Wing Ding (bird houses), Camille Morgan (knitted hats) and Emily Pitts (herbal wraps and cat toys). Between Naybors will provide the music Thursday night and The Red Oak Southern String Band will play Friday night.

It’s shaping up to be two wonderful evenings under the twinkling lights.

"There's something about the smoke and the lights and the weather and the nighttime that make it magical," says Jamie. "I don't know how Carol did that, but we're just hoping to keep that going. We're just following in her footsteps."

The Big City Bread Holiday Market takes place Thursday and Friday (Dec. 13 and 14) evening from 5 PM to 9 PM at 393 North Finley Street, Athens, GA. Admission is free.

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