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Popular event joins forces with Clemmons Farmers Market in return to the Y

By Jim Buice
For the Clemmons Courier

The popular Clemmons Community Day made its return to the Jerry Long Family YMCA last Saturday after a two-year absence because of COVID-19 and the continuing pandemic, but it may have started a new tradition by joining forces for the first time with the Clemmons Farmers Market.

Denise Heidel, the executive director of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce, said that it was great to be back and also to share the venue on Opening Day with the Clemmons Farmers Market just across the way at an adjoining lot at the Y.

“We call it a coopetition so that we can draw from their audience, and they can draw from ours,” Heidel said. “So we have a little bit of an overlap and can support each other.”

Like Clemmons Community Day, which moved to the Y in 2013, the Clemmons Farmers Market bounced around with several locations before finding a home at the Y in 2020.

The Clemmons Farmers Market got the day started at 8:30 a.m. as the early birds strolled through the long row of vendors selling a wide variety of items.

Meanwhile, Clemmons Community Day got underway at 10 a.m. with Kristin Johnson, who is director of Historic Broyhill in Clemmons and serves on the board of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber, and Adam Cardwell, associate director of the Y, serving as emcees.

Tammy Parks, president of the chamber, offered the official greeting.

“Who’s excited about today?” she asked to the crowd gathered around the stage for the opening remarks. “Can you tell that I am? We have a full and exciting agenda day.”

That was followed by the presentation of the colors, the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Mr. Bill’s Productions cranking up the music.

There were more than 90 vendors on hand to share about their businesses and services to the community — with many offering special offers, games and freebies to those visiting their booths.

“That was a little bit less than in the past, but we planned it that way because we really weren’t sure what to expect with our first year back,” Heidel said. “Everything has been amazing with everyone so excited and supportive.”

Heidel certainly has a different perspective for this year’s Clemmons Community Day since taking over as executive director of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber in July 2021.

“I’ve been a chamber member since 2019 and a vendor here before,” she said. “It’s a little different this time. My company here (The Resumé Nerd) is being represented by my mom and my husband.”

One of the new businesses in Clemmons, Chicken Salad Chick, had a booth and its owner, Mike Umphenour, offered his take after the eatery opened a few months back.

“We love being in Clemmons,” Umphenour said. “The community is fantastic. I have restaurants in a couple of different cities and counties, and I join the chamber no matter where I go. I can tell you that in the 25 years of operating restaurants, this is the chamber that has got all the other chambers blown away. You go look at the some of their calendars, and it’s empty. Here, they actually do stuff. It’s pretty neat.”

In addition to the vendors, there was a selection of food, entertainment and other activities, including the popular bounce houses and a train ride for kids, and the Y’s Healthy Kids Day activities.

Cardwell said that the Y was once again glad to be a part of the event.

“We’re so glad to have the community back together all in one place,” he said. “It’s exciting to have all of Clemmons and the surrounding community here.”

Mike Combest, a council member for the Village of Clemmons, said it was “a great turnout” for the return of Clemmons Community Day, and when a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office deputy was asked for a crowd estimate, he said: “A lot.”

Johnson, who was president of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber and led the committee in preparing for the 10th anniversary celebration in 2019, was just glad to continue the tradition.

“We are so excited that we’re back after a two-year break, and I think we can feel the energy,” said Johnson, who was this year’s program  coordinator. “We’re just honored to be here today.”