Help Us Finish the Market Playground

A playground is coming to the Ferrum Farm & Craft Market — and we are so close to the finish line.

Thanks to a $10,000 grant through Lions Club International, made possible by advocacy from our local Ferrum Lions Club, and an incredibly generous donation from Amanda and Grant Dammann of Big Sycamore Farms, Phase One of our Market Playground is officially underway.

The commercial-grade equipment is already funded and ordered. That includes:

An ADA accessible music area for all ages
A toddler space with spring bouncers and balance beams
A big kid section with a merry-go-round and stand up spinner
A honeycomb-themed climber designed for all ages

Total equipment cost covered: $10,700, including delivery.

Now we need your help to bring this project across the finish line.

What Your Donation Supports

We currently have $1,800 remaining in the playground fund and $3,240 in site preparation and installation expenses still to cover. That leaves us approximately $1,500 short.

Remaining costs include:

Site preparation equipment rental
Concrete for secure installation
Safety-compliant mulch at the required depth of 12"
Gravel for accessible pathways

All labor is being completed by volunteers, with oversight from Dr. Dan Caston of Ferrum College’s Recreational Leadership program, who is also a certified playground inspector. Every dollar raised goes directly to materials!

About the Market Playground

The playground will sit just inside the tree line at the market, along the trail that connects Ferrum College to the market grounds. No standing trees will be removed. Equipment is being placed only in areas already cleared or impacted by last year’s ice storms.

When complete, we will be the only farmers' market in the area with a dedicated playground.

We are creating a space where:

Families can gather
Kids can play safely
Parents can shop and connect
Community can grow

And this is just the beginning. The Market Playground is part of a larger vision to create meaningful, nature-based play spaces at Ferrum Park.

Help Us Open on April 17

Our goal is to raise at least $1500 to complete the installation in time to hold a ribbon cutting on Market Opening Day, April 17.
If we manage to get donations over the $1500 threshold, we will use that money to add picnic tables and benches to the playground area!

Please consider making a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, moves us closer to opening day.

We are incredibly grateful for this community and what we continue to accomplish together.

Farm & Craft Market Playground