Festive music, string lights and handmade arts and crafts lined the streets as people shopped and got in the holiday spirit at a Washington, D.C. market.
The Downtown Holiday Market, located in Penn Quarter, reopened Nov. 19 after scaling back events last year as a result of COVID-19 pandemic precautions. Over 70 vendors from the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region welcomed shoppers hoping to purchase holiday gifts, enjoy treats and listen to live entertainment. The Downtown Holiday Market is open daily throughout the holiday season.
The goal of the Downtown Holiday Market is to connect local businesses with local customers, according to Michael Berman, president of Diverse Markets Management, the firm that runs the Downtown Holiday Market.
“What we try to do is incubate small and local businesses to build them up, get them to a store, get them to a higher professional level from where they’re starting from,” Berman said in an interview with The Hoya. “This activity that we do here is so much exposure and so much interest in shopping that it really gives them a lot of eyes and a lot of sales.”
The Downtown Holiday Market boasts six food vendors, including Migue’s Mini Donuts, The Capital Candy Jar and The Taste of Germany, as well as live music performances from local musicians and bands every day until the market closes for the season Dec. 23.
Working at the Downtown Holiday Market allows local shops to receive more exposure, according to Karen Locander, who works for Chouquette Chocolates, a Maryland-based chocolate shop that has been at the market for several years.
“We love coming to the market because so many thousands of people get to see our product who wouldn’t normally see it,” Locander said in an interview with The Hoya. “We run out of a small kitchen in Gaithersburg and don’t have a storefront, so this is a great time of year where we reach so many people, and then they can find us online to get chocolates in the future.”
Last holiday season, the Downtown Holiday Market took place on the street to allow for social distancing. The organizers and vendors also implemented COVID-19 safety precautions like masks, hand sanitizer stations and prepackaged food items.
For this year’s 17th Annual Downtown Holiday Market, two blocks of F Street will once again be closed off to accommodate shoppers and vendors, but other precautions will be lessened, according to Berman.
“We made a big change last year to move it into the street from the sidewalk and spread it out, and we kept all those changes this year but don’t have the COVID restrictions,” Berman said. “We’re not doing temperature checks; masks are still available but it’s not a requirement, and social distancing is still available but it’s not a requirement.”
With fewer COVID-19 restrictions, the Downtown Holiday Market now resembles its pre-pandemic features, as organizers were able to expand live music offerings, according to Berman.
“We got to add in our stage,” Berman said. “We got to do some things that we couldn’t do last year, which is nice and feels closer to normal.”
The Downtown Holiday Market is a great way to support small businesses around the holiday season, according to Sarah Nickel, a first-time vendor and the owner of Sarah Nickel Ceramics, which sells hand-thrown and hand-carved pottery.
“Opportunities like this are a really great way to both get out there and also make some sales,” Nickel said in an interview with The Hoya. “I think just coming out and supporting all the vendors here is really great.”
Exploring the Downtown Holiday Market is a festive way to embrace the holiday spirit, according to Berman.
“It’s a lot of fun. There’s some unique shopping, there’s a live stage and there’s food,” Berman said. “It’s a great time, and you’re outside and enjoying the Christmas cheer.”
