Downtown Holiday Market Opens Next Week!

The highly anticipated Downtown Holiday Market opens on December 4, 2009 with an abundance of local merchants selling eco-friendly goods, artisanal crafts, funky art, holiday accents, tasty treats and much more. A sampling of vendors is below; see the full list online for specific dates and booth location.

The market is located along F Street in front of the National Portrait Gallery. See the map HERE.

It runs from noon to 8:00pm through December 23, 2009, and has live daily entertainment to keep shoppers entertained as they peruse the vendors for that special gift. It is produced by the Downtown DC Business Improvement District in partnership with Diverse Markets Management.

Fair Trade & Eco-friendly Items:

• Harun's African Art (MD) – Handcrafted tableware and jewelry made of copper and brass alloys from South Africa; sales support upwards of 70 families of the Ndebele culture in the Lowveld of South Africa near Kruger National Park
• Figs & Ginger (NC) – Eco-friendly sterling jewelry
• Jenafusion (VA) – Handcrafted fashion accessories made from recycled, reclaimed, vintage and new material. Products include hats, purses, scarves and wallets
• The Devil Made Me Do It (MD) – One-of-a-kind clothing from 99% "upcycled" materials. Handmade Vintage-inspired designs with whimsical, deconstructed elements
• The Red Persimmon (MD) – Fair trade and handmade gifts from India, Bali, Uganda, Mexico. . Items include clothing, linens, silk and cotton purses, ornaments and accessories
• Three Stone Steps (MD) – Eco-friendly and fair trade accessories imported from Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Haiti. Products include bags, wallets, silk scarves and jewelry
• Vida Dulce (MD) – Fairly traded handmade accessories and jewelry by the Mayan living in the Guatemalan Highlands; portion of proceeds benefit the nonprofit Pueblo A Pueblo

Exceptional Jewelry & Funky Crafts:

• Alitas Jewelry (MD) – Jewelry made from hardware
• Had Matter (MD) – Functional wall art created from recycled materials and vintage images
• Isabelle Glass (MD) – Original kiln-formed glass and fine silver jewelry
• Jewelry Works (MD) – Mixed metal art jewelry featuring the Japanese art of Mokume-gane
• Jon Wye (DC) – Unique belts and t-shirts
• Laurel Denise (VA) – Glass jewelry with signature handwritten words and illustrations
• M.Edelman Art (MD) – Contemporary functional, decorative and wearable hot forged metalwork
• Range of Emotion (MD) – Off-beat yet functional handbags made with vintage fabrics, buttons, snaps and buckles
• Rebound Designs (MD) – One-of-a-kind purses, wallets and journals made from recycled hard and paperback books
• Turtle’s Webb (MD) – Handcrafted art metal jewelry

• ZIMGEMS (DC) – Handcrafted sculptures made from soda cans

Interesting Imports:

• Arise Bazaar Productions – New and vintage Japanese silk and cotton kimonos
• Dorebajra Tibet Shop (MD) – Tibetan products including jewelry, felt, handmade paper, singing bowls
• Oswaldo Sinchico (VA) – Ecuadorian sweaters and crafts
• Perfectly Bazaar (VA) – Handcrafted pottery from the village of San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua
• Toro Mata (DC) – Peruvian furnishings, accessories, art and ornaments

Art, Ceramics, Photography:

• Art to Die For (VA) – Hand tinted historic black and white photographs
• GrunerPottery (MD) – Decorative Raku pottery and functional items for the kitchen and table
• Italy in Color (MD) – Photographs throughout the regions of Italy
• Kessler Art (DC) – Folk art prints, red dog paintings, whimsical cats, flag paintings, geometric art, city scenes, Washington DC landmarks and Americana paintings
• Joe Shymanski (DC) – Washington, DC based photographer
• Photographica (VA) – People, places and landscapes by Val Proudkii
• Reinventing Reality (DC) – Photographic collages
• Sabri Ben-Achour (VA) – Pottery and ceramic art
• Saenger Porcelain (DE) – Contemporary pottery
• Thomas Bucci (DC) – Watercolors of Washington and places around the world
• This View of Life (DC) – award winning photography featuring nature, travel and iconic DC landscapes
• Tsolman Damba (VA) – Watercolor paintings

Holiday accents:

• Andrew Moch (VA) – Hand-blown glass ornaments
• Geeda's Hand Poured Candles (DC) – Fragrant and vibrantly colored hand-poured candles
• Gouisa (MD) – Handcrafted and painted ornaments and holiday gifts
• Russian Classics (VA) – Ornaments from Russia

Tasty treats:

• Bigpoppa (MD) – Fresh popped Kettle Korn
• Crepes at the Market (MD) – Sweet and savory hot, fresh crepes
• Guata-Java (MD) – Specialty fair trade, organic Guatemalan Coffee
• J. Chocolatier (DC) – Handmade luxury truffles and buttery caramels
• Koh’s Bulgogi (MD) – Korean BBQ
• Migue's Magnificent Mini Donuts (MD) – Fresh donuts made on-site
• Tea Co (VA) – Organic loose leaf teas and tea ware
• Terre de Provence (MD) – Specialty olive oil
• The Sugar Cube – Confections and gifts including hand-pulled candy canes, old-fashioned ribbon candy, handmade candy bars and toffee; gourmet popcorn and marshmallows; specialty hot chocolate