More than two dozen small businesses braved temperatures in the high 30s on Saturday for the Long Family Christmas Market at the Staffordboro Boulevard commuter lot in North Stafford, kicking off the holiday season with a community-focused showcase of local makers, bakers, and entrepreneurs.
The special market, held two days after Thanksgiving, brought together vendors from across Stafford County, Fredericksburg, and Northern Virginia for a Shop Small-style holiday event organized by Long Family Markets.
“I’m a bakery, so I do cookies, everything like that,” said Callie Maddox of Stafford, who owns Mamaw Sweet Treats. Maddox started her business in 2023 to continue the work of her grandmother. “My mamaw, this was her business before she passed away,” she said. “I wanted to carry the torch.”
Nearby, A.J. Rasher of Fredericksburg offered hard ciders, perries, and jerkums under his brand, Cider Lab. “A jerkum is an alcohol much like a cider, except for using a pitted fruit. Today we’re using a peach,” he explained. Rasher said educating customers is part of the fun. “If we can get a person to come and ask a question about a drink, then they become a customer.”
Some vendors turned personal passions into new ventures. John Doback, owner of FXBG E-Bike Tours, demonstrated a foldable electric bike he uses to lead historical tours in Fredericksburg. “When you get older and you’re not going to have a heart attack, let the motor do the work,” Doback said. His Class 2 bikes reach 20 miles per hour and can travel up to 40 miles with pedal assist.
Newer businesses joined the holiday market, too. Stafford resident Laura Peinick launched The Book Bar this season, offering “blind dates with a book” using thrifted or donated titles wrapped with short descriptions. “I got this idea from TikTok,” she said. “I thought that sounds like so much fun, I could get behind that.”
Other vendors, like Natalia Anderson of Nikita’s Jewelry Box, said Long Family Markets has helped them build a loyal following. “I never would think that I would have regulars,” Anderson said. “And I do. They love my stuff, and that’s what keeps me going.”
The market also featured children’s book authors Alyssa Samuel and her mother, who have sold more than 2,000 copies of their self-published titles. Their books, “Make New Friends” and “Make New Friends: Red, White and Blue,” focus on kindness, diversity, and lessons inspired by visits to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico. “It’s been really great,” Samuel said. “We’ve been able to connect with Stafford County schools by going to local fairs.”
Long Family Markets founder Robin Long said she created the Christmas Market to give more small businesses a place to grow outside the traditional farmers market season. “I really wanted to give an opportunity outside of the farmer’s market world to other types of small businesses,” Long said. “Small Business Saturday is my best opportunity to do that.”
Long and her husband purchased the Stafford farmers market for $1 several years ago when the previous owner planned to close it. “Where am I going to sell my cake?” she recalled telling her. Since then, she has expanded the operation from nine weekly vendors to about 80.
“That’s 80 small business owners that can’t afford a brick and mortar, but need a place to meet their customers,” Long said. “It’s the perfect opportunity to support my community through giving them a place to go.”
Long Family Markets currently operates in North Stafford and at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. Long said she hopes to add a weekday market in Spotsylvania in 2026 and is exploring a Lake Anna location. Her long-term goal is to purchase land and build an indoor facility so vendors won’t have to “stand out here in the cold.”
