"We want to make Mount Joy memories," said Katie Roering, director of marketing for Voyage Mount Joy. "We want to focus on the positivity and the fun and the good things happening in Mount Joy."

Voyage Mount Joy is a nonprofit that formed in June to shine a spotlight on the town.

"A group of businesses got together post-pandemic, and we were talking about how Mount Joy has so much to offer as a whole, but there is nobody managing that vision," explained Sheri Smoker Bare, president of the organization and owner of the interior design business Room with a View. Voyage Mount Joy will work closely with the groups already in place, including the Mount Joy Chamber of Commerce, which focus on specific aspects of the community.

Roering said the blueprint for Voyage Mount Joy came from a book she read about how to create a destination town. It suggested listing a town's assets. "The list (about Mount Joy) just kept getting longer and longer," she recalled. Roering and Smoker Bare were determined to market the assets on the list they had created.

The idea behind Voyage Mount Joy is to spread the word about what's new in town and also focus on the town's rich heritage.

"New residents don't know all that Mount Joy has to offer," Roering stated. "This nonprofit is about bridging the gap between the historic parts of Mount Joy and the newer parts, between the older residents and the younger residents."

To market Mount Joy, the organization is emphasizing its website, http://www.voyagemountjoy.com. "We want our website to be the central resource for the town. We want to focus our marketing on our social media accounts as well," Roering said.

The organization will also hold special events in town, including The Market at Mount Joy, which will take place on Thursdays, Sept. 9, 16 and 23, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the American Legion Post 185 lot, 560 Clay Alley.

"We'll have lots of vendors and artisans," Roering noted. "We'll have homemade items, food and projects for children." Voyage Mount Joy is self-funded, and The Market at Mount Joy is sponsored by Koser Jewelers, with the space donated by the American Legion. The group hopes to hold fundraisers in the future, including a spring 5K.

Roering knows firsthand how important a venue like The Market at Mount Joy can be for small business owners. She's the owner of Fontana Candle Co., which makes certified nontoxic candles, and she got her start at a similar makers market in Lancaster.

Voyage Mount Joy will work to promote small businesses in Mount Joy, said Smoker Bare, because they are the lifeblood of the community. "Small businesses contribute to activities in the community, whether it's supporting schools or events with fundraisers or sponsorships," she stated. "We are an integral part of the community." The organization will also focus on promoting local attractions, parks and trails, dining, lodging and more.

"People should sign up for our newsletter at our website, so they can know what we have planned," Roering said. "We're all about promoting life in the 17552."