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ELON — Shoppers at the Elon Community Church Farmers Market saw some unusual products for sale Thursday, including origami and used golf balls.

Children were invited to become vendors alongside the regular sellers of produce, baked goods and crafts for the Kids Day event.
Lily Pope, 6, sold peppers and a tomato from her family’s garden. At least once a day, she brings a basket out to the garden to collect what’s ripe.

“The peppers kind of shot off the bush,” she said.

Lily and her sister Madelyn, 8, also sold golf balls they’d found on a golf course near their home in Swepsonville. They hand-washed the balls and sold them in egg cartons for $5 a dozen. The sign at their table let customers know the balls were “hand gathered” and “locally harvested ... by free roaming kids.”

Eight-year-old Kelly Mae Allen of Graham sat behind her table, quietly folding origami in the shapes of frogs, cicada, pigs and cups to sell. She also sold her brother’s paper airplanes and helicopters, made from camouflage paper.

The youngest vendor by far was 3-year-old Alana Moon of Burlington, who was selling cookies and lemonade.

“Her lines are 'Are you hungry? Are you thirsty?’ ” her mother, Kristyl Moon, said.

But for 10-year-old twins Mitch and Bryce Amoriello of Gibsonville, it was a typical Thursday summertime afternoon. The boys usually help their mother sell cheese, eggs and milk from their grandfather’s farm, Gerringer Farms.

“We help set up, we help give out the cheese, and sometimes we tell about the samples,” Mitch said.

However, they did bring a jug of pink lemonade to sell.

Selling at the market is “pretty fun,” Mitch said. “We like coming here.”

Kids Day also featured special guest Suzanne Tilton, a Cary teacher who calls herself “Butterfly Lady.” Tilton, who breeds and sells the insects, brought caterpillars, cocoons and butterflies for children to learn about.

Children held the monarch and black swallowtail caterpillars in their hands and watched them devour milkweed and parsley plants.

“He tickles me,” 4-year-old Sarah Vecchione said when Tilton placed a caterpillar in her palm. The Burlington girl held the caterpillar for a few minutes, eating a blueberry muffin with her other hand and watching her mother shop.

“See, Mommy, look at them,” Sarah said, pointing to a cage of fluttering butterflies. “They turn into butterflies.”

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at jamie.kennedy@news-record.com or 449-4610.