by Guillaume Laflamme
Shawville
May 12, 2024
Pontiac moms were treated to a shopping spree and brunch this weekend at a Mother’s Day pop-up market hosted at the Shawville Recreation Association.
The event, organized by Nikki Stephens and Lana Cowley, featured a variety of local vendors selling home-made goods as well as a menu-based brunch cooked up by Cowley herself, which included coffee, french toast, BLT’s, salads and toasted ham and cheese sandwiches.
The first day of the market also offered a workshop where . . .
kids could learn about flower arrangements and craft a bouquet to give to their mothers.
“It was just really good vibes, great vendors, a really happy place to be. We had music going, and with kids running around, it always makes it special,” Cowley said.
For Stephens, the event was a chance to bring people together.
“Some people are alone so it’s somewhere to come as well and be well received and taken care of,” she said.
According to Cowley, the event’s first day was a huge success, with many vendors selling out completely and having to leave early, as well as selling the large majority of her menu, causing her to have to reconstruct her menu for Sunday’s brunch.
Lucille Beardsley was one of the people attending the Sunday brunch with her husband. She said her kids don’t live nearby, but decided to still celebrate the day among friends.
“We came out because we’re not with our children so my husband decided to take me out for lunch. Even though I’m not his mother,” Beardsley joked.
Beardsley said mothers are always busy, and being recognized for all their hard work is something precious.
“One of the things about being a mother is you never stop. No matter how old your kids get you never stop being a mother,” Beardsley said.
“This is the first Mother’s Day without my mom and I miss her so much. But she always said to me ‘I never stopped being your mom.’”
This was the second pop-up market Stephens and Cowley have put on together this year, the first being the Spring Fling pop-up market in March.
