Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Salted Roots owner Candace Young pitched the project—dubbed ‘Meet Ya on Eighth’—at the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting last week. Photo credit: Jacob Casha.
The couples behind two of Home Hill’s newest businesses have joined forces to launch an ambitious initiative aimed at breathing fresh life into the town’s main street.
Salted Roots owner Candace Young pitched the project—dubbed ‘Meet Ya on Eighth’—at the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting last week, calling on residents, Council and local traders to rally behind the town’s commercial hub.
The proposal, conceived by Candace and her husband Scott alongside Scrubby’s Teahouse owners Neil Machin and Patricia Thomas, would see Eighth Avenue host a monthly evening gathering designed to drive local trade and strengthen community connections.
While details are still being ironed out, Candace said the broad plan would include live local music, local makers and market stalls, food vendors and cafes, family-friendly activities, participating businesses trading later and a Community Long Table where people could sit, eat, talk and enjoy the evening together.
She also pitched the event as an opportunity to give young local performers a stage to share their talents, with tentative plans to close off a portion of the Eighth Avenue service road to create a mini-market atmosphere complete with a stage.
For organisers, it is a chance to build on recent momentum within the town’s commercial sphere.
“Like many rural towns, Home Hill has become quieter and empty shopfronts have replaced some of the bustle that once defined our town—but something encouraging is happening,” she said.
“New businesses are opening, existing businesses continue to invest, and there is renewed belief in Home Hill. Meet Ya on Eighth – Rediscover Home Hill is an opportunity to build on that momentum and give our community a reason to gather again.”
The pitch drew strong backing from attendees at the AGM, securing immediate support across the local business community.
Candace said the aim was to have the event up and running before the end of the year, with plans to be formalised and lodged with Council.
Organisers hope it can become a Home Hill mainstay, drawing on the town’s golden era while forging a path towards a new future.
“Meet Ya on Eighth is not about recreating the past. It is about honouring what made Home Hill special while creating something new for its future,” she said.
“Let’s fill our streets with music instead of silence. Let’s replace empty footpaths with friendly conversations. Let’s give people a reason to come back into town, a reason to stay and a reason to be proud of Home Hill again.”
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