Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 10-30-20

Local
Harvest Festival To Provide Loads Of Fun, Food, Shopping
Ronda Thomas, the owner of Shaddai Cus- toms, understands the impact the global pandemic has had on the economy and most importantly, how it has affected the small business community.
"Not having the engagement opportunities avail- able to show your products to the public has put a lot of us in sticky situations. I had become reliant on attending vendor events to promote my items and provide for my family. Without these events, many of us have had to learn social media - and that's not an easy feat," states Ms. Thomas.
After prayer and speaking with Carlton Burgess of Burgess School of the Arts (BSA) and Marcus Brown of M2G Marketing, a concept was born. "We want to provide a safe, social distancing event that will help revitalize the local small busi- ness community. Here at BSA, we are committed to getting back to a sense of normalcy," Burgess re- marked, which is why they are continuing to provide music and vocal lessons to adults and youth.
The kickoff event will be a Harvest Festival 2020 on Saturday, October 31st, from 12 noon to 6 p. m. There will be live performances from local artists, free raffles, food, shopping and more.
"Being a single mother in these uncertain times has made me tap into my creative side," stated
Latecia Mallard of Queenin and Blingin, a small business that provides credit card holders and other items. Most of the small businesses at the event will be women entrepreneurs.
"Even though I am currently employed, with everything transitioning to work from home or on- line, my job is not that secure."
This is not just the concern of Twanda Jones, creator of Awaken Tranquility, but many house- holds at this time. "I had to decide if I was just going to sit and wait on uncertainty or create my own lane." Thus, she now provides candles and incense and other natural products.
This market is open to all small businesses that want a consistent venue that understands where they are and where they are trying to go. "We have created several packages for the up and coming small business which includes branding products and a 30 second commercial," added Brown. "We're here to help in any way possible."
The next event will be the Small Business Satur- day market scheduled for November 28th and the Christmas Gift Shop market on December 19th. "We are aiming to have the market every two weeks starting in January 2021 and by 2022 every week," remarked Thomas.
The Harvest Festival on October 31st, starting at 12 noon til 6 p. m. will be located at 1913 West Sligh Avenue, Tampa 33604. There will be live music, candy, food, fun and of course shopping! Bring the whole family. MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
For more info, contact Ronda Thomas at 813- 308-1956.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 11-B