Denali Arts Council hosts a Holiday Market at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar in Talkeetna each year on the weekend following Thanksgiving. The market is an opportunity to shop locally for Alaskan-made goods and get a jump on holiday gifts for friends and family. The majority of the vendors are from the Upper Susitna Valley, but some come from Willow, Wasilla and further south. Wares included jewelry, knitted and crocheted items, fine art prints, adorned walking sticks, ornaments, and various food items such as salsa, mustard, baked goods, and locally-roasted coffee. Many of the vendors attend annually like Jenny Manning, an avid crocheter. Jenny crochets sweaters, skirts, shawls, hats, and some unique items like sleevies, crowns and hanging baskets. Jenny says the variety of vibrant colors inspire her work.
Becky Ruby and her daughter Bryony (Bri-nee) were vendors at the market selling a popular item.
And what is your biggest seller?
”My honey and hot honey. In fact, last night I had to make some more hot honey to replace what was missing.”
How long have you been beekeeping?
“Five years. Yeah, five years. It’s very challenging because of our extreme temperatures here. The cold is the worst, but we work real hard to overwinter. And last year we were successful, so we’re hoping that this year using the same methods that will be successful again. The challenge is there, but the reward is amazing.”
Some of the new market participants were selling coffee roasted in Willow, sourdough baked goods, salsa and hot sauce. One new vendor was a Su Valley high school student using a laser engraver to make custom wooden tags.
The bazaar is a community affair; shoppers enjoy visiting with each other and with the vendors. Each day a live music performance was provided by Talkeetna’s local Rhythm and Red Shoes Ensemble conducted by Sandy Shoulders. There was soup and eggnog, a spiked and kid-friendly version, for sale to benefit Denali Arts Council’s Emmila A Denny Scholarship Fund. A volunteer-hosted craft table keeps kids occupied while parents shop.
This year the bazaar had a new edition to allow for more vendors, an outdoor tent. The outdoor area was heated providing a comfortable option for the vendors and shoppers. Laura Wright was selling her handmade upcycled wares in the tent. She repurposes used wool sweaters and fleece to sew new mittens, winter skirts and potholders. She also makes dog treat pouches and reversible fabric head buffs.
In addition to further expanding the outdoor market, Michelle has some ideas for future markets.
“Thought it’d be a lot of fun; the last two or three years I’ve been working on maybe bringing in reindeer. I thought that would be a really fun treat for families to come up from out of town to go to a fun local market in Talkeetna and buy gifts for family members and also have their kids feed the reindeer. Maybe have it be some sort of photo opportunity as well. In addition to expanding the outdoor portion of the market, that’s sort of like my next step.”
