Bishopville to get flea, farmers market

Randy Burns / The Item Ann King, operator and co-owner of the Bishopville Flea and Farmers’ Market, talks with grandaughter Andrea King about the family’s new enterprise, set to open in Bishopville by mid-June.

By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com

BISHOPVILLE - A well-known Lee County farming family will soon open a farmers market in Bishopville.

Ann King announced Thursday that she and her three children will own and operate the Bishopville Flea and Farmers' Market on the corner of East Church and South Lee streets.

"It is going to be a family business," King said.

Sons Wiley and Kevin King, both Lee County farmers, and daughter Kathy Riggin will play a part in the business venture that promises to offer quality products at low prices.

"I think with the way the economy is now, people want to save money," Ann King said. "We hope to have a variety of vendors who will offer products that will be of interest to everybody."

The four cotton warehouses on Lee Street were built by King's husband in the early 1950s, she said.

Initially, King is renovating one warehouse, the one closest to Church Street, and will offer 39 vendor booths. The warehouse will have four huge fans to keep the facility cool, she said.

King hopes to have the renovations completed in time to open the business in mid-June. In a few months, she hopes it is necessary to expand the business by renovating a second warehouse. There will also be space outside the warehouses to set up vendor tables and booths, King said.

"I already have four permanent vendors lined up," she said. "I don't have any produce or farmers signed up yet, but we hope to real soon."

Customers can expect new and used furniture, housewares, pocketbooks, Avon products, ceramics, cell phone accessories and jewelry. At some point this summer, King also hopes to offer customers a variety of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, corn, watermelons and peaches.

At Tuesday's meeting of the Lee County Council, Councilman Gordon Eckley said the flea and farmers market will meet an important need in the community during "tough economic times."

King has recruited her granddaughter Andrea King, who graduated in 2008 at Robert E. Lee Academy. Andrea, who is currently in the nursing program at Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, is scheduled to work the concession stand this summer.

"A lot of people are talking about it (flea and farmers market)," Andrea said. "I think people are going to support it." King will offer farmers and vendors an opportunity to rent space at the facility, she said.

"Vendors will pay us for rental of the space," she said. "They keep all the profit they make. We don't receive any of that. We want to have a lot of vendors. We don't mind if people go to the State Farmers Market and buy produce to bring it here. I want to have a clean and safe market."

King also expects the Bishopville market will compare favorably in size and quality to any in South Carolina.

Anyone interested in renting space at the flea and farmers market should call King at (803) 702-4272.