New shop breathes new life into New Oxford’s small business community
By Molly McKim
The three owners of Fiddlestix Mercantile—Tina Becker, Tiara McCowen and Sarah Keefer—each had reasons why they wanted to open their store, but all centered around supporting small local businesses.
“We are specifically designed to be a place where visitors can shop from small and local businesses, create something in our DIY area, use our Plant Bar or attend one of our events with friends and family. We are focused on providing a healthy, exciting and energetic experience for the people in South Central Pennsylvania,” says Sarah.
Before opening this business, Tiara owned a flower shop by the name of Fiddlestix. The three wanted to merge the name into their new business and added ‘mercantile’ to give the shop a pretty, modern feel to the old-fashioned word.
The shop offers many handmade items, from jewelry, clothing, shower steamers, pottery, paintings and art, stained glass and seasonal decor to fresh-baked bread and baked goods, cut flowers and plants. Many items are one of a kind, and almost everything in the store is sourced from handmade local artisans.
The shop also hosts online and in-person events, with DIY events becoming more popular by the day. Previous events have included a chunky blanket DIY, a calligraphy workshop and wreath-making classes. The shop also hosts book signings, open houses and other workshops.
Fiddlestix Mercantile has partnered with Brookemere Winery, a few steps from the shop, to host its events in a bigger space. “Our ultimate dream is to be able to have a space where we can have endless events, workshops, and our retail space in one location,” Sarah says. “It became difficult to continue to accommodate the events in our current space, because every time we hosted one, we had to take down displays in order to fit everyone who wanted to attend.”
Located at 2 Carlisle St., right outside the heart of New Oxford, the owners say the community has been supportive and welcoming. Tina, Tiara and Sarah hope to bring a breath of fresh air into the New Oxford and Gettysburg communities with their unique and creative atmosphere. “New Oxford is a beautiful town with minimal shopping availability, and we hope to bring this town back to life,” Sarah says. “Small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhood, the spine of our local community and the spirit of our town.”
Fiddlestix Mercantile
2 Carlisle St., New Oxford
tinyurl.com/fiddlesticks-new-oxford
Hours:
Thursday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
