Shopping local this holiday season just got easier with the Pop-Up Holiday Market at The Social Spot making a return for its second year.
Every Saturday and Sunday Nov. 6 to Dec. 19, up to 15 local vendors will set up booths at The Social Spot from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to sell their wares, an opportunity made possible by the space's retail zoning designation said Quirck Social owner Kailey Mitchell.
"We leased the space in the old IGA building, which is now The Social Spot, for the months of November and December last year because a lot of the Christmas markets had been cancelled due to COVID," Mitchell said. "Because the space is zoned as retail, we've been able to operate the whole time, which gave an opportunity for a lot of vendors to still attend a market last year.
"Every week there's new vendors and opportunities for people to come and support local and to shop from local vendors from Cochrane and area."
The Social Spot will post a list of each weekend's appearing vendors on their Facebook and other social media pages. Vendors include Sweet Gypsy Bespoke Chocolates, Knits by Nikki, Mom & Tribe Co., The Unknown Files Candle Co., Go Mug Yourself and many more.
"We will have some repeat vendors but there has been a lot of interest so there will definitely be new ones each week too," Mitchell said. "It's a good suggestion for people to keep an eye on the list of vendors if they are looking for different things."
Ashleigh Carlow, owner of Go Mug Yourself, will be at the market for her second year. She will be set up every weekend with a selection of sassy and ridiculous mug designs.
"We're still in the pandemic and it's really hard to find joy," she said. "If I'm at a market and just having a group of women come through and just like laughing so hard that they're actually threatening to pee themselves — that's why I keep doing it. It's because I like to make people laugh."
Carlow said last year she achieved great sales at the market and having a booth there every weekend means she has been able to leave it set up, almost like a mini storefront.
The Cochrane and Area District Chamber of Commerce also recently announced their partnership with the Town of Cochrane business development department to help create the Town's annual holiday gift guide, as part of the Chamber-led Cochrane Loves Local campaign.
As an extension of the gift guide, the Chamber announced it is releasing a gift box, which will be available for pick-up at The Social Spot when it launches Nov. 20, Mitchell said.
"We also have our liquor license this year, so we've got coffee and Baileys and we're looking at maybe having some mimosas and snacks there to make it a bit more an experience."
The first 50 people to arrive at the market each weekend will also receive a swag bag full of vendors information and small goodies and giveaways from local businesses.
