COCHRANE— Offering a space to showcase local vendors, the Pop-Up Market is back to celebrate spring.
It is exciting to be up and running for the spring season, said organizer Kailey Leonzio. She added she is hopeful Cochranites will take advantage of the market to learn more about the local vendors from the area.
“It’s so fun to see the vendors because a lot of the vendors know each other and will buy from each other. They have their own sense of community and it can feel like you’re making new friends every weekend,” Leonzio said. “You’re always going to see something new.”
The Spring Pop-Up Market, located at 609 1 Street West #103, runs every weekend and features 15 unique and different local vendors each week. Vendors all come from the local area including Cochrane, Airdrie, Calgary, Crossfield and everywhere in between.
The Spring Market can host up to 27 guests at a time under the current COVID-19 health measures.
It is great having different vendors visit each weekend, she said, because it allows the market to have diverse items each weekend while ensuring vendors do not have competing wares for sale.
The market runs from Friday to Sunday to ensure anyone who wants to pop by for a visit can do so and feel safe.
“We spaced it out to make it easier for the vendors and the public,” Leonzio said. “It’s a shopping experience.”
It was important to have a space to showcase local vendors while providing a space to foster community connections.
The Spring Pop-Up Market serves as a great space to connect with vendors face-to-face, Leonzio said, because it allows visitors to get a sense of creators' passion for their items.
“When you’re talking to them you can tell this is what they are passionate about,” Leonzio said. “It’s fun to have that energy going.”
She hopes these connections will help expand vendors' reach through their connections with customers who in turn can follow them on social media and share their work with friends.
Leonzio is looking to expand the offerings at the market and is working to feature a different food truck each weekend to enhance the experience of guests.
“It’s a good opportunity to support local,” Leonzio said.
Cochranite Megan Luscombe was on hand for the market on Sunday (March 21) featuring her hand-made all-natural bath bombs, lotions and other personal wellness wares through her business Empowercare.
“There are no weird chemicals you can’t pronounce, I hand make everything myself,” Luscombe said.
Her products are especially unique as they all feature braille to ensure those who are visually impaired can read the product description.
Luscombe is legally blind, she said, and knows first-hand how difficult it can be to choose an item when it is not possible to read the description. She hopes her products inspire customers to learn more about braille and why it is essential for those who are visually impaired.
“I find that it’s a good avenue to talk to people about it and make people aware of blindness and literacy,” Luscombe said. A report from the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians reported less than 10 per cent of people who are legally blind can read braille. “There's a large number of blind people who are illiterate … They can’t read or write and I think that’s super important.”
It is exciting to be able to educate visitors and showcase the pressing need for equal access for those who are visually impaired, Luscombe said. She added it is empowering to be able to pick up a product and read the description to understand what it is.
“It kind of levels the playing field a little bit,” Luscombe said.
Empowercare launched two years ago and local markets have played a pivotal role in helping Luscombe find success.
Markets have been instrumental in growing her business because they have allowed her to connect with the community and share the inspiration behind Empowercare.
COVID-19 has impacted her ability to participate in markets and the Spring Pop-Up Market has been her first market of 2021.
“It’s a great place to go and shop local, and I think supporting local business is really important during this time,” Luscombe said. “You can make connections and it's a good place to hang out and shop.”
The Spring Market will run every weekend from March 19 to May 30. Spots are still available on select weekends for interested vendors.
Each weekend runs from Friday to Sunday. The first 50 guests to visit on a Friday will receive a free swag bag.
Leonzio is planning to feature a different non-profit at each market and a spot for donations to the Cochrane Food Bank will be available.
Check out the Quirk Social Facebook page for more details on upcoming markets.
