Last Chance Holiday Bazaar

Last Chance Holiday Bazaar
by Joanna Wilson

Over the past month, I've been highlighting several local places and events where you can shop local and buy handmade.  Hopefully, you found an opportunity to explore Crafty Mart, Portage Trail Barn's WINTER SALE, and the Mustill Store's Holiday Open House to purchase gift items for your friends and family.  Just a reminder: the Mustill Store Holiday shop remains open through this week for local artisan items and for gift wrapping.  For more information, click HERE. 

For you procrastinators out there--and YOU know who you are--there's still one more opportunity I'd like to highlight.  Sunday, Dec. 22nd from 11am-6pm, at the Zephyr Pub in downtown Kent, you can find Last Chance Holiday Bazaar, a holiday pop-up shop to satisfy your last minute shopping needs.

The Last Chance Holiday Bazaar is an extension of Zephyr Mart, an arts and craft show first held this past September.  Were you there?  I was--and I was impressed with it.  I asked the organizers, Rachel Jernigan and J Phillip Hudson, about their event.  As an artist and a long time Kent resident, Rachel started Zephyr Mart to highlight the talents of Northeast Ohio crafters and artists while J brings his skills in event planning and his marketing experience to organize it.  (Remember J is the co-founder of Crafty Mart and the organizer behind Sausage Fest).  Rachel told me, "J and I started Zephyr Mart because we are both interested in providing a venue for artists to sell and a place for people to buy local, unique products and gifts. The city of Kent has some outdoor events but not one that we felt suited our goals."  I asked about the future of Zephyr Mart and Rachel responded, "J and I intend to do several Zephyr Mart events in 2014, including a summer Zephyr Fest with bands, food and lots of vendors."

Rachel and J are both motivated to support downtown Kent and its local small businesses that have survived over the years--alongside the influx of many new businesses.  The organizers are involved in supporting mainstays like The Zephyr Pub that need to be remembered and patronized.  One way to do that is to become involved in the Keep Kent Weird movement--showing your support for the uniqueness of local Kent.  And another way to support Kent is to shop local and buy from local artists--at events like the Last Chance Holiday Bazaar.

What can we expect to see at Last Chance Holiday Bazaar?  J Hudson told me, "The vendors at Last Chance Holiday Bazaar are an eclectic mix of Kent area artists and crafters, from recent Kent art student grads to established painters and jewelry makers. Others [from places throughout Northeast Ohio] are cottage industry creative types. Their work represents a wide range of aesthetics, styles and media. Some of their works are great to look at and others are practical and can be used. All will make great gifts. We are also going to have vintage clothes."

There will be approximately 20 vendors--please check out the vendors' names and photos of their goods on the facebook event wall.  This is a smaller event--one that relies on word-of-mouth promotion, so please share this event with your friends and family.  And, this event would not be possible without the support of The Zephyr Pub, it's owners, Michael and Nancy, and the manager, Patty Restaine.  Many thanks to everyone whose efforts go into making opportunities like this happen.  Keep Kent Weird.

Last Chance Holiday Bazaar is Sunday, Dec. 22nd, 11am-6pm
at the Zephyr Pub: 106 W. Main Street in downtown Kent, OH 
check out the Facebook event wall for more information and vendor profiles.

I'll see everyone there--I'll be one of the vendors, selling my holiday greeting cards.  Be sure to stop by and say 'hi.'