Shop Autumn Laurel Candles at Junction 245 | Buena Vista, Virginia
A historic factory reborn. A maker community taking root. A place where Appalachian entrepreneurship has a home.
You can find Autumn Laurel candles on the shelves at Junction 245 - and when you visit, you will find more than a place to shop. You will find a living example of what it looks like when a community decides that its makers, artisans, and small businesses deserve a real place to grow.
What Is Junction 245?
Junction 245 is a cooperative marketplace inside the Virginia Innovation Accelerator in Buena Vista, Virginia. Housed in the beautifully restored Mundet-Hermetite building - a 38,000 square foot former manufacturing facility along the Maury River - Junction 245 brings together makers, artisans, food and beverage producers, and small businesses under one roof in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
It is more than a market. It is an immersive entrepreneurial environment designed to help small businesses grow - with access to affordable retail space, mentorship from industry experts, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, and a collaborative community of fellow makers. Every vendor at Junction 245 is building something real, and the space is designed to help them do it.
The building itself tells a story worth knowing. Once an industrial manufacturing plant, it sat vacant before The Advancement Foundation acquired it in 2021 and began the work of transforming it into a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. What was once a factory floor is now a marketplace. What was once idle industrial space is now alive with the work of Appalachian makers.
Autumn Laurel at Junction 245
Autumn Laurel is proud to be among the vendors who call Junction 245 home. Our hand-poured apricot coconut wax candles - crafted in small batches in Christiansburg, Virginia - are available year-round at Junction 245, alongside our wax melts, room and linen sprays, and seasonal offerings.
Shopping at Junction 245 means shopping local in the truest sense. Every purchase supports not just Autumn Laurel, but the broader ecosystem of Appalachian makers and the mission of rural entrepreneurship that Junction 245 represents. When you buy a candle off our shelf there, you are part of something larger than a transaction.
We chose to vendor at Junction 245 because we believe in what it stands for. Autumn Laurel was built on the same values that drive this marketplace - that Appalachian makers deserve infrastructure, community, and a real chance to build something lasting. Being present at Junction 245 is our way of putting that belief into practice.
What to Expect When You Visit
Junction 245 is a welcoming, unhurried space. You will find handcrafted goods, unique gifts, locally inspired products, and the kind of shopping experience that feels personal rather than transactional. The vendors here know their products because they made them - and that shows in every conversation and every shelf.
Phase Two of Junction 245 is underway, bringing a Café and Tasting Room to the space - where visitors will soon be able to sip locally sourced beverages and foods in a setting that celebrates creativity and community. It is shaping up to be one of the most distinctive destinations in the Shenandoah Valley.
Whether you are a local looking for something made with care, or a visitor passing through Buena Vista, Junction 245 is worth the stop.
Visit Us
Junction 245 Marketplace
245 W. 21st Street
Buena Vista, VA 24416
Hours:
Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed Sunday through Tuesday
For more information about Junction 245 and the Virginia Innovation Accelerator, visit acceleratevirginia.com.
Rooted in the Same Belief
Autumn Laurel and Junction 245 share a common conviction: that Appalachian communities have something worth preserving, worth building on, and worth investing in. The makers at Junction 245 are not just selling products. They are making the case that rural Virginia is a place where creativity, craft, and entrepreneurship can thrive.
Every candle we pour in Christiansburg and every one we place on a Junction 245 shelf is part of that argument. We are glad to be making it alongside the makers, mentors, and community builders who show up at 245 W. 21st Street every week.
Come find us. We would love to meet you in person.
Also in our community:
The Advancement Foundation →
Rooted & Giving Back →
Our Story →
Hand-poured in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Found at Junction 245 in Buena Vista, Virginia.