The Church of the Ascension, located on Detroit Ave., was alive with spirit on Saturday, Nov. 8, as community members gathered for the church’s annual Holiday Market. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., volunteers and local artisans collaborated to launch a festive start to the holiday season.
Large, decorated signs outside guided guests to the side entrance, leading directly to the main hall downstairs. The space buzzed with the scent of baked goods, the hum of conversation, and the Christmas classics playing in the background. Long tables lined the parish hall, covered with handmade crafts, jewelry, and holiday commodities, each crafted with care by local contributors.
The market was held for the first time last year, and because of its great success, they decided to host another. Church member Kiera Dodd emphasized how the occasion unites the neighborhood.
“We want to have our doors open to the community and bring people in for the holiday season. It’s nice that we have this big space to hold events in,” Dodd said.
The Church of the Ascension hosts various gatherings throughout the year. This year is especially significant with the celebration of its 150th anniversary. The church dates back to 1875 in Rockport township, now known as Lakewood.
“We also have a Thanksgiving meal that anyone can come in and eat, the same thing for Christmas, and we usually have community meals at least once a week,” Dodd added. “We like to feed the community and bring them in, and so I hope that they feel welcome.”
Beyond the cheerful atmosphere, the Holiday Market served as a way to help raise money for the church’s eventual goal of $150,000. The original organ pipes require repair, along with a new roof for the kitchen.
One of the key organizers and facilitators of the market, Charlotte Partlow — otherwise known as Honey to friends and family — detailed the extensive history of the church and its significance for area members.
“We have a history book which is not only the history of the Church of the Ascension, but it’s a history of Lakewood and Rockport because we were part of most of the founding families,” Partlow explained. “The Webbs, the Andrews, the Nicholsons — all those street names were settlers and part of the Ascension.”
Partlow also shared her personal history and her family’s long-term connection to the church and neighborhood, which stretches over a century.
“My family moved here in 1916, and my grandchildren are being brought up in the same house I grew up in,” she said.
As a Lakewood High School graduate, Partlow fondly recalled her childhood spent participating in church events and fundraisers similar to the one at the market. “I have articles from the bazaars they did back in the 1800s,” she said.
The market itself was vibrant with energy from open to close. The aroma of toasted sandwiches and warm soup wafted through the air as kitchen volunteers prepared lunch for the guests. The menu included a wide variety of homemade comfort foods that paired perfectly with the cool November chill outside.
Visitors moved from table to table, observing products ranging from moisturizing beeswax hand lotion to handcrafted earrings and knit hats. A collection of tables was dedicated to baked goods — cookies wrapped neatly in festive packaging, homemade pies, and a family Partlow tradition of bread-and-butter pickles.
“My mother started in the late ‘30s or early ‘40s, doing bread and butter pickles for the church bazaar. She did it into the ‘90s until I took it over for her,” Partlow said.
By late afternoon, as guests left with arms full of gifts, the market had raised both funds and spirits. The Holiday Market at the Church of the Ascension serves not only as a seasonal fundraiser but also as a place for connection and tradition.
Each conversation, sale, and shared meal represented the strong sense of family that has defined the church for the past 150 years.
As junior Lilly Boland, who attended the event last Saturday, reflected, “The combination of the church community and Christmas spirit is really special.”
