The Camellia City Market, the newest addition to Olde Towne in Slidell, opened Saturday in Griffith Park.

Located in the heart of Olde Towne on Second Street, the market consists of a variety of local vendors selling homegrown and organically-produced items, including honey, plants, olive oil, pralines, cookies and dog treats.

Despite the current absence of actual produce due to seasonal growth patterns, the market’s opening day was a rousing success.

Rose Rider ,left, makes a sale on opening day at the Camellia City Market Saturday. (Photo by Jason Ervin)

Attendance was excellent, and most vendors sold out within the first few hours, organizers said.

The market, which has been in the works since 2002, finally came to life last August when a group of Leadership Northshore members, headed by Mary Dubuisson , the chairman of the Camellia City Market Committee, made it their mission to build from the ground up a local farmer’s market to offer the residents of Slidell a place to “come together as a community: eat, shop, and just be together,” Dubuisson said.

To see the market actually accomplishing these goals, said Dubuisson, is “a dream come true. I keep expecting to wake up and see that none of it is real.”

Dionne Graham was excitedabout the opening of the Camellia City Market.

“I’ve traveled to Mandeville and New Orleans for years to visit farmer’s markets. It’s so great to finally have one here at home in Slidell,” Graham said.

Opening day for the market had a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, complete with live music, cooking demonstrations, food samples and a lot of smiling Slidell residents, vendors and shoppers alike.

The market will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will celebrate its official grand opening on June 3.

“We’ll be out here every Saturday, rain or shine, for years to come,” said Cheri Webster, one of the organizers of the Camellia City Market.