Jun 23, 2013 3 min read

I spent the last week on vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I think there were 30 of us, kids included, in one house. I actually lost track of the number as I was running the names through my head. My daughter, who is just one month shy of turning a year old, just absolutely loved the beach and the sand and water. That’s good, because this is a yearly thing with my friends and their families.

Corolla is a pretty laid back part of the Outer Banks, whereas Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills are jam packed with people and businesses. I was especially excited to see how many farmers markets there were down there. Watermelon, tomatoes, corn, lettuce and onions were just a few of the items I saw, and the markets were always crowded with people.

Another nice thing I noticed about that area was that there were not a lot of big box stores and restaurants. You really are kind of forced to shop locally, and the prices were quite reasonable for a tourist area.

So back on the home front, our local farmers markets are beginning the weekend after July 4. You can find a schedule in the “Be Local Buzz” insert in today’s Herald-Standard. We are also excited, because starting this month, the “Be Local Buzz” is now eight pages long. It’s great that we have so much to report on that we are growing our products and coverage of local businesses and events, but we can always do more to help out our local businesses and communities.

Next weekend is the Fayette Chamber of Commerce’s annual Fourth of July celebration at the Uniontown Mall. Stop up and enjoy the music and great food from local bands and restaurants. Events like these are a great way to get a feel of some of the local businesses in the area and see what types of food and items they sell.

We’re also in the beginning planning stages for the USCAA Basketball tournament that will be in Fayette County again in February 2014. This year’s tournament was a big boost for our local businesses and communities. Next year’s events will be even bigger and better than this year. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on the plans as they unfold.

Keep us informed on what’s happening in your neighborhoods and communities, and we’ll make sure to keep writing about them and promoting them through the Buy Local Network. Making Fayette County a better place to live, work and play is the goal of the local economy department of Fay-Penn. Please email me anytime at loris@faypenn.org.

Lori Ann Scott is a sustainable communities specialist for the Fay-Penn Economic Development Council.