The days are getting chilly, but you still have time to stock up on fruits and veggies and other great stuff, right downtown. Come on down to Pearl Market and see plenty in full bloom and harvest ready.
The 2011 season wraps up at the end of the month, so plan now to shop every Tuesday and Friday while farmers and merchants are still in Pearl and Lynn Alleys. If you tell us what you’ve enjoyed the most this year or what you would like to see in Pearl Market next season, you’ll be entered to win 30.00 in Pearl Market tokens (they spend just like cash!).
Having a hard time narrowing it down? Take a peek here to see some of your choices. And enter a comment below by Friday, October 7 for a chance to win.
Fourth of July was months ago, but there’s no typo when we say save the date for Independents’ Day.
The fourth annual Independents’ Day lights up Cbus to celebrate entrepreneurial spirit and all things independent on Saturday, September 17 from noon to midnight at Gay Street and Pearl Alley.
Bring your inner artist and add your own creative touch at the live mural painting that will take shape during the festival. And, if you work up an appetite, Dine Originals has you covered with plenty of good eats. Keep your eyes peeled – you might even see a food truck or two.
Music, art, great food, but the blast continues with clowns, fortune tellers, magicians and crafters set up throughout the festival. Dance in Columbus will offer improvisational, contemporary, jazz and guerrilla performances, as well as creative movement experiences for children.
This week’s vendor spotlight shines on CaffeineDaddy.com!
CaffeineDaddy.com is new to Pearl Market this season. Entrepreneur Jeffrey Foulke created CaffeineDaddy.com and sells all kinds of caffeinated products. Whether you’re looking for caffeinated soap, toothpicks, lollipops, beef jerky, or more; if you can name it, CaffeineDaddy has it. Want something to slow you down? CaffeineDaddy has that too. To learn more about CaffeineDaddy.com visit their website and check out our weekly vendor spotlight video.
McCormick Family Concessions, run by Heather and Sean McCormick, is a new vendor to Pearl Market this season. They sell homemade lemonade and locally grown, organic kettle corn popcorn at Pearl Market and other fairs, festivals and shows.
To learn more about McCormick Family Concessions and to see some of their products, check out the video below.
Spring has been a long time coming, and you deserve a treat. We have a fantastic way for you to celebrate the arrival of warmer temperatures – ice cream, perhaps? Oh and by the by, Pearl Market opens one week from today.
Hmmm… wonder what they two have in common? Here’s a hint:
It’s spring and time to spruce things up a bit – maybe even paint over some of that boring beige that covers every nook and cranny of your house or office.
Need some inspiration?
Well, look no further than Pearl Alley because the team at Crimson Design Group brings experience and creativity to the showroom and retail store at 51 North Pearl Street. What? You never noticed they were there? Well, stop on by for the open house this Thursday from 3 – 7 p.m., and in the meantime, see what Crimson owner Cheryl Beachy Stauffer has to say about collaborating with clients and why she loves downtown.
On October 29 the summer Pearl Market closed for the 2010 season, wrapping up another very successful year of bringing fresh, local produce, foods and unique goods to the downtown community. Over the course of the summer, 58 merchants and 30 farmers peddled their wares in the Pearl and Lynn alleys with spillover on Broad and Gay streets. The Market operated for 47 days this summer, with an average of 3,500 people exploring its offerings on any given day. That totals almost 165,000 visits – all from people who enjoy shopping, lunch, entertainment and some fantastic people watching.
Numbers like these reinforce the importance of Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District’s commitment to running the Pearl Market. Our Market Manager, Adam Schroeder, has helped expand the Market’s offerings through outreach to potential farmers and vendors and has improved the Market’s accessibility and visibility. This year, after a trial run in the 2009-10 Winter Pearl Market, guests of the Market could use credit cards or the Ohio Direction Card to purchase tokens redeemable at almost all Market vendors. The move from cash-only purchasing made it easier for last-minute shoppers, and the ability to use the Ohio Direction Card opened the Market to a new demographic. The program was a huge success with over $14,000 in credit card transactions and over $2,400 in Ohio Direction Card/EBT transactions.
Special events and offerings served to boost interest and attendance at the Market. Five Tasty Tuesdays were held, during which staff prepared recipes featuring Market products and provided samples and copies of the recipes to customers. (If you missed our Tasty Tuesdays, you can still check out the recipes at downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/special-events). The Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen set up shop in the Market on two occasions. Area chefs shopped the Market and then prepared some tasty samples for Market customers. Other special events included the Second Annual Kids’ Day on July 27 in conjunction with COSI, which garnered media attention on all of the major network television stations. And there was Tomato Day, Strawberry Day, Squash Day, Taste of the Summer Harvest and Taste of the Fall Harvest, all of which featured special recipes and samples of the special ingredient or ingredients of the day. Plus customers were able to enjoy live entertainment every Market day from a variety of musical guests, which sometimes led to actual dancing in the streets.
Capital Crossroads kicked off the Friends of the Market program this summer to allow fans of the Market to help support daily operations. Both individual and business Friends of the Market options are available for purchase, benefits of which include a listing on the Pearl Market website and a reusable canvas Pearl Market shopping bag. By the end of the Summer Market, 30 individuals and one business had signed up to be Friends of the Market. If you are interested in more information or would like to take a peek at our Friends list, visit downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/friends.
The Market received much earned media from newsprint to television all season long. One of the highlights included Fox 28 reporter, Johnny DiLoretto, who came to the Market and aired his entire morning show live in the alley. He promoted the Market and interviewed vendors, which was a great way to support the entrepreneurial spirit of the Market vendors. In addition, Market promotions were enhanced through our marketing and communications channels, including Facebook, Twitter and our weekly Right Now Downtown email blast. Each vehicle was used to share information on special events and a weekly Market Special was available to Right Now Downtown subscribers. One of our Market vendors penned a weekly blog post called the Market Maven and we posted a number of videos showing interviews with vendors and highlighting what makes the Market unique.
Though the summer Pearl Market has wrapped up for another year, the Winter Pearl Market is just kicking off. The Winter Market will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November 2 through February 25 at 33 N. Third Street.
Grab your shopping list and head to Pearl Market. But where did it go? There’s no sign of vendors in Pearl Alley. Well, keep on walking because it’s just around the corner at 33 North Third Street, right next to Lynn Alley. Everything moved indoors for the winter, so you don’t even have to hold onto your hat (or your skirt) to keep that alley breeze from blowing you into the next county.
You’ll find some of your favorite farmers and vendors from the summer. Plus, we’ve rounded up a few new ones too, and just in time since holiday shopping will be here faster than you can say “Ho, Ho, Ho!” Make it easy on yourself, and come to Pearl Market to check off who’s naughty and nice on your gift-giving list. The Market is filled with one-of-a-kind handcrafted items that are sure to please everyone.
If you aren’t convinced, check out our video of what you might find indoors at Pearl Market. Just like always, vendors are ready to go from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays (except the Friday after Turkey Day, November 25), and if that’s not enough, we have some great live entertainment lined up to keep your toes tapping.
Last week at the Market we were treated to the musical stylings of The Shaw Brothers. Those boys can sing! Andy and Chris each play a number of instruments quite well, like guitar, violin, ukulele and djembes. They both would switch instruments so seamlessly that it seemed there were many more people playing. It was great music for a day at the Market!
Last week was also a Taste of Fall at the Market. That means it was a sample day, everyone’s favorite. Sweet potato bread pudding was amazing, especially with the praline sauce. I must have the wrong idea about bread pudding because I expected it to be, well, pudding-like. It was more like a bit of cake or donut and it was delicious. The maple apple ginger cake was just as good as it sounds. And the one I was very intrigued with was pumpkin dip. Fabulous, and perfect for fall or Halloween parties. For the recipes, just click here.
There are only two weeks left of the summer Market. Make sure you come visit us before it’s over and get the lowdown on the upcoming winter Pearl Market!
The Market is getting a wee bit smaller as the weather turns cold, but there is still plenty to do and see. Many vendors are adjusting their businesses accordingly. One of the food carts is serving piping hot pea soup. Delicious! One of our favorite musicians, Bob Piascik, strolled the alley a bit as he played, encouraging a dance party among vendors and visitors alike. Cupcake Susie made perfect fall cupcakes this week, spiced apple cider and pumpkin honey almond! Café Brioso always brings plenty of hot coffee that smells so enticing you can’t pass it up.
If you have been down to enjoy the Market this season, then you have probably noticed our fantastic Market staff. They are always on hand to help and have done a marvelous job with everything from directing traffic when a car has to pass to tents flying away in the wind to capturing it all in pictures. They are also the reason the Market is continuing. The Winter Pearl Market has found a location (33 N. Third Street) and is set to begin after the summer Market is over, but we need everyone to come and support it! Hope to see you soon!
EXPLOSION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
On October 29 the summer Pearl Market closed for the 2010 season, wrapping up another very successful year of bringing fresh, local produce, foods and unique goods to the downtown community. Over the course of the summer, 58 merchants and 30 farmers peddled their wares in the Pearl and Lynn alleys with spillover on Broad and Gay streets. The Market operated for 47 days this summer, with an average of 3,500 people exploring its offerings on any given day. That totals almost 165,000 visits – all from people who enjoy shopping, lunch, entertainment and some fantastic people watching.
NO CHILL HERE
Last week at the Market we were treated to the musical stylings of 
The Market is getting a wee bit smaller as the weather turns cold, but there is still plenty to do and see. Many vendors are adjusting their businesses accordingly. One of the food carts is serving piping hot pea soup. Delicious! One of our favorite musicians,