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Bob Campbell, the new manager of the Franklin Farmers Market, has a lot of new things planned for the market at 210 S. Main St., the first of which is the Holiday Market, set for Dec. 18.

Running from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the family oriented event will kick off with an Elf Parade, which will feature Santa Claus, his elves and children marching.

“They’re going to start at Barrett’s Landing and parade down to the market on Main,” Campbell said.

Highlighting other key features of the Holiday Market, he said, “We’re going to have a 27-foot Christmas tree, lights choreographed to music on the radio. We’re going to have fire pits for the kids to roast marshmallows. I’ve got two vendor trucks coming in to provide fresh-cooked stuff.”

And there will be no shortage of offerings within the market itself.

“We’re growing by leaps and bounds; I’ve got a waiting list now of vendors to come in,” Campbell said. “We’re bursting at the seams with vendors.”

He has helped promote the Holiday Market in print, radio and television media, hoping to draw families from all over southern Virginia.

“I want to promote Franklin because I think it’s a really cool place,” he said. “It reminds me of the little hometown I grew up in. I was raised on the farm, so I like to promote farmers. I’m into promoting health and wellness … and I want it to be a fun thing where families can come. I think it’s important to have all kinds of fun stuff, and small towns tend not to have enough of that kind of thing that’s totally family oriented.”

Campbell also has big plans in place for the Franklin Farmers Market in 2022.

“Coming the first of the year, the first Saturday in every month, we’re going to have a theme-based market,” he said.

He said he has worked it out with Sentara Obici Hospital to bring its mobile unit down to do health screenings on different Saturdays.

The market will even have a dog groomer on hand some Saturdays next year.

“So we’re doing a lot of cool stuff,” he said.