On January 4, 2022, a dream of mine became reality with the opening of my new retail store and small event venue in downtown Greensboro, Georgia. Introducing Lake & Local - a dream come true, a vision that is now a reality, and truly a culmination of everything I've done in my adult life.
Downtown Greensboro, Georgia
My family and I moved to Greensboro, Georgia, purchasing a home on Lake Oconee, in July 2018. I remember talking to my best friend a few months after moving in and telling her I feel semi-retired. The pace of life here is just a bit more relaxed than what I was used to.
When we were looking for a home, we drove through the historic downtown area of Greensboro, Georgia, and I was immediately in love – the charm and character just felt like home. I remember taking note of the cute buildings and shops and visualizing what I might have in one of those buildings one day.
When my daughter Marley and I would walk around downtown Greensboro, there was an antique store we loved to visit, not for the antiques, necessarily, but to pet their cats and to visit their garden. Dreamcatcher’s Antiques was a unique space – a palm garden in the heart of a historic town. Even though it was severely neglected and overgrown, it was still peaceful and my favorite place to visit.
The Making of Lake & Local
Fast forward to the summer of 2020 – pandemic, boredom…I started a handmade business making diffuser bracelets, and began setting up a booth at our local farmer’s market, where I met Kelly, and we became fast friends.
Kelly also had a handmade business and her booth always ended up being across from mine, so we got to know each other well over the summer. We started signing up for other vendor events in our area and would set up near one another.
After a year or so of these events – some good, some pretty terrible – Kelly and I started brainstorming ideas to create our own local vendor events. We looked at potential venues, and even came up with a name – Lake & Local.
We never could find the right spot to make all of this happen, so the idea took a backseat to life.
Then, one day in the fall of 2021, Kelly called and asked if I had seen that the old Dreamcatcher’s Antiques building was for lease. My immediate response was, “Yes, but it’s way too big.”
A few days later, I went to the post office, which is directly across the street from the Dreamcatcher’s building, and I decided to pop my head in and check it out. I called the owner, found out more about the building, including lease terms and rent, and then I called Kelly.
It was a huge risk with a huge price tag, but we both felt like the Lord was leading us to it. After looking at the space and realizing the potential, particularly with the garden – MY garden that I have loved so much – we decided to take that leap of faith!
On November 3, 2021, we signed our lease agreement and started working on Lake & Local – the name just fit!
From the very beginning, we have had the most incredible outpouring of support from the community. The other businesses, particularly Genuine Georgia directly next door to us, have been so supportive.
We did a lot of work both inside and outside of the building. The garden in particular was in rough shape so that took some time to do the trimming and cleanup, pressure washing, etc.
We had an open house in December, and opened for a week prior to Christmas. We were blown away by the response!
Lake & Local Shop and Event Venue
We officially opened our doors on January 4, 2022. Our retail space features home decor, gifts, and accessories sourced from Southern small businesses, including a few local vendors and products Kelly and I make ourselves.
We have new inventory hitting the shop regularly, and love featuring products that represent our local area, from Lake Oconee and Greensboro t-shirts and hip flasks to UGA merchandise.
We’ve been featured in local publications, too, including a great article in Lakelife magazine about our garden featuring photos from the wedding party when Kelly’s son and daughter-in-law got married on New Year’s Eve. They had their ceremony at Oconee Brewing Company down the street from our shop, but the girls got ready in our event room. The photographer took some beautiful photos in our garden!
This is truly a dream come true. I look forward to being part of the business community in downtown Greensboro, Georgia, for years to come!
Visit us online at LakeandLocal.com or stop by in person at 104 S. Main Street, Greensboro, Georgia, 30642. We can’t wait to meet you!
