The long-dormant North Avenue Market will come alive this weekend with a holiday market for the community and a pop-up cocktail bar by StillPointe Theatre and Baltimore Queer-Scape.
On Saturday from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., the Central Baltimore Partnership will present the Station North Holiday Market, featuring “All Baltimore” vendors inside and outside the historic North Avenue Market building, 12-30 West North Ave.
This is the third year for the holiday market, part of an effort by the Partnership to activate the North Avenue corridor and showcase local artists, artisans, merchants and makers. It comes two months after the market was opened during Artscape 2023 to a curated group of artists and organizations that were promoted as representing the festival’s “local side.”
Along with more than two dozen merchants, and in keeping with the building’s location as an anchor for the Station North Arts District, Saturday’s market will feature performers and food and drink vendors to help give the event a festive atmosphere. Part of the market will be held in a corner space at 30 West North Avenue, where Mobtown Ballroom and Café is planning to open its new home.
Merchants will include Garden Party Botanics, which makes handmade soap and lip and hand balm; TheGroovyVandal, featuring art prints, books, pillows and clothing; Anna Sellheim, an artist known for her illustrations, including comics; After Five Industries, featuring greeting cards and stationery; Blue Robin Designs, selling art prints, custom t-shirts and a scent called AzulRa; The Paper Herald, featuring notebooks, writing instruments and gift items; Riso Jam, showcasing artwork made with a Risograph printer; and Anchovy Press, offering a wide range of handmade items.
Also, Magan Ruthke: Art & Design; Millennial Shades; Palunisa; Plied Yarns; SewLab USA; Stellarium Jewelry; Stinging Nettle Stitchery; The Heart of Hiroh Arts Label; Tightfisted Fashion; Two Boots Farm; Vashti Blue Jewelry Studio; Ann Gaylord Bags; Art of Kyote; Aurora Clothiers by AllenGate; Baltimore Jewelry Center; Black Acres Roastery; Emiline’s Divine Candles; Five O’Clock Co.; Globe Collection and Press at MICA and Isabel Pardo Art.
Pop-ups will include: Baltimore Youth Arts; Currency Studio; MICAMade; Mobtown Ballroom and Sacred Ashes Candles.
Food and Drink purveyors will include Baltimore Spirits Company; Guilford Hall Brewery; Jewish Jerky Brand; Nina’s Cookie Explosion; TaTa Tacos and Veggie Table.
Scheduled performers include: Fatal Attraction Step Squad; the Salem Kamalu Trio; Zach Serlet and the Jones Falls Sewer Dwellers and the Big Cricket String Band.
Also on Saturday, the market space at 12 West North Avenue will open as Dasher and Dancers, a pop-up cocktail bar run by StillPointe Theatre and Baltimore Queer-Scape.
Featuring cocktails such as the ‘Melted Snowman’ and the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy,’ the pop-up bar will be open during the holiday market and then again from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., for an event titled “Sleigh.” The cost of the nighttime event is $10 in advance and $20 at the door.
Dating from 1928, the nearly block-long market building is under contract to a group headed by developer John Renner, who is working with the Central Baltimore Partnership and others to make it a cultural hub for the arts district. The sellers, Mike Shecter and Carolyn Frenkil, have been working with the prospective buyers to open the building to new tenants and stage short-term events there to help draw people to the area.
More information is available at stationnorth.org; on social media at @stationnorth, and at stillpointetheatre.com.
