LaGRANGE — Saturday’s return of the Market on Main is generating some buzz around town.

Local vendors will return for the annual summer farmer’s market on Main Street, but this time with a sweet edition. Students from Callaway High School, coordinated by the local beekeeper’s group, have crafted and painted beehives and market goers can vote for their favorite. The winner will receive a $25 downtown LaGrange gift certificate, Market on Main T-shirt and other treats.

The Troup County Association of Beekeepers is organizing the contest, which is aimed at raising local awareness of the group and beekeeping.

“We’re going to be handing out fliers on how people can help the bee population. We’re hoping this is an awareness-raising opportunity,” said Brad Myers, president of the beekeepers’ association. “It was a neat experience painting the hives, I think, for the kids. We gave each of them a pound of honey and we’ll have another pound of the winner.”

Myers is hoping the hive painting contest will spark young people’s interest in beekeeping.

“They’re the future,” Myers said. “If you look, generally, a lot of beekeepers are older. That’s not only necessarily the best thing, and we want to get younger people involved. We’re hoping to get interest from younger people. It’s a neat thing to do, and we’re glad to take advantage of their artistic talents. They’re outstanding artists.”

The winner of the contest will be announced at the end of the market, according to Barbie Watts of the Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, which organizes Market on Main.

Of course, there will be more than beehives at the market, Watts added.

Locally grown plants, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, eggs, organic meats, Korean food specialties and much more will be available for purchase, and Watts said visiting the market is an opportunity to get to know local farmers.

“The greatest thing is that you get to talk to the farmer that has grown the food, so you can ask questions about how they’ve done it,” she said. “You can find out if they’re using pesticides or herbicides — you can have a direct conversation with the grower.

“It’s worth waking up early for,” Watts continued. “People say they’d wish it would go longer than 10 a.m., but the farmers always sell out. Several of the vendors will have breakfast items, so you can have breakfast and get your food for the weekend and enjoy seeing your friends and neighbors at the market.”

The Market on Main is every Saturday until the end of August from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Carmike Cinemas LaGrange 10 parking lot on Main Street. For more information, or to become a vendor, contact Watts at 706-298-4534 or barbiew@downtownlagrange.com.