Many vendors had connections to Fairmount Camp.

Co-owner of Little Lite Candle Co., Brian Handy, grew up attending Fairmount Camp and has been selling at the Spring Artisan Market for the past three years. His wife said she enjoys seeing the camp where her husband grew up. 

Lora Clark used to work as a church secretary and now ministers to people by selling Monat products full-time. As a seller of natural beauty products, she said, “I get the opportunity to help men and women with their hair and skin.” She enjoys the opportunity to offer people solutions and meet their goals.

While Monat is not a faith-based company, many sellers are Christians.

“We have the opportunity to be the light to not yet believers” Clark said.

Handy named Little Lite Candle Co. after the song “This Little Light of Mine.” Handy said the goal of their business is not to sell the most candles, but to promote the importance of letting the light of God shine through you. 

Handy said she views their candle business as a ministry to both non-Christians and Christians. “Christians also need to be ministered to. That’s kind of where we want to step in and fill that gap and help encourage Christians” Handy said.

Holly Ford, owner of Holly’s Cozy Crochet, sold her handmade items at the market. She began crocheting as a stress-relieving activity and was encouraged by her friends to turn it into a business. 

Ford said, “I really put my faith into my business.” She spends time in solitude with God while creating each item. As she creates, she listens for God’s voice and rests in his presence. 

Co-owner of Lola’s, Krista Brown, said that people often say there is nothing to do in Marion. In response to this, Lola’s hosted a trivia night to help people see that there actually are things to do locally. 

Trivia night was designed with Lola’s vision in mind. Nicholas Hindes, the MC for the evening, said, “The vision was really to support the values and the vision of Lola’s.”

Brown said that part of Lola’s vision is community and creating a space where people want to be.

“One of the values of Lola’s is to really create a warm space for people to experience community; for people to experience love,” Hindes said.

Every seat at trivia night was filled. People gathered together and experienced community, as was the vision. Dottie Sonderstrom, a member of the winning team, said she enjoyed talking with her teammates between questions. 

Soderstrom said her favorite part of trivia night was getting together with people that she doesn’t see on a regular basis.

Hindes said his favorite part of MC-ing the event was watching the teams celebrate their correct answers. 

Lola’s looks forward to creating more opportunities for the community in Marion in the future. The next trivia night will be on March 13th.

On Saturday morning, local and international James Dean enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the reveal of a new James Dean Birthsite Memorial in downtown Marion. 

Layla Price-Bodkin, the Supervisor of Marketing & Community Development for the City of Marion, said James Dean is a global legend. Price-Bodkin said that she thinks it is important to recognize Marion as his birthplace. 

 Price-Bodkin said the greatest challenge to making the event happen was the weather. 

 “We’ve dealt with a lot worse weather. We can get through anything: hail, storms, snow, absolutely anything here in Marion,” Price-Bodkin said.

Many people braved the rain, hail and slick sidewalks to attend the event. A small film crew from Toronto, Canada made the trip to document the moment. 

James Dean fan Adam Bretherton grew up watching Dean’s work with his dad. Bretherton said he is hopeful this will help spread [Dean’s] influence in Marion.

 Bretherton encourages younger generations who may be less familiar with Dean’s work to check out his films. 

Indiana State Representative Lori Gross-Reaves shared why Dean’s story matters to her and her family. Her youngest son, Casey, is an actor who played the role of the young Dean at the Community School of the Arts as a boy.

Gross-Reaves said Dean serves as an example to her son of someone who could be born in Marion, raised in Fairmount, and then make it in Hollywood. 

The apartment building Dean was born in was torn down in the 1970s. 

 “A lot of people thought that it was a big mistake to do that.” Price-Bodkin said. 

Under Mayor Morrell’s administration, the city deeded the property, making the memorial possible. 

Gross-Reaves said, “his (James Dean’s) life brings a message of hope that it doesn’t matter where you were born, what class you were born into, that hopes, dreams, talent and determination can take you very far.”