As the temperature keeps decreasing and the amount of pumpkin-flavored food and Halloween-themed crafts keeps growing, we are hitting the end of outdoor market season, which means pretty soon we will have to do our shopping and fooding indoors. Also, with the unfortunate closing of Dekalb market on Sept. 30 after the market lost its lease, that leaves us Brooklynites one less place to shop and eat and avoid having to trek into the city on a weekend. There is good news though! There will be a two new markets opening this fall: one temporary one focused on designs and foods made by women, and another market that will be going on until November highlighting the funky flavor of Ditmas Park.
Gowanus Girls Indie Design + Food Mart
Where: Gowanus Grove – 400 Carroll St., between Bond and Nevins
When: Two Saturdays – Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, from noon until sunset
The Gowanus Girls Indie Design + Food Mart will be held for two Saturdays, Oct 13th and Oct 27th at Gowanus Grove, which is located on the banks of the Gowanus Canal. It is run by an organization called Curious Jane which was founded by Samantha Razook Murphy, and is a small community-oriented growing business, based in Brooklyn, that primarily runs after-school and summer programs for girls that are focused on design and creativity.
“We’re embarking on a new project to extend our brand: a pop-up style weekend market that will build on our company’s emphasis on females, community, and design,” said Casey Ashenhurst who works for the organization. The market will feature a variety of goods and foods, designed, crafted, and made by talented, (mostly Brooklyn-based) ladies.
Two vendors to check out are Love Jac, handmade greeting cards made from altered photos, and homemade jam by the jam makers at The Jam Stand. There will also be a bar serving sangria and beer, and free craft activities for kids. A portion of the proceeds from the market will go to helping support revitalization efforts in the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal.
BONUS: If you’re planning to go to this girl-powered mart on the opening day, Oct. 13, this also coincides with Gowanus Open Studios. This is the 16th year that the artists around the canal have opened their studios to the public. The open studios are a way to talk to the artists in the quiet and intimate setting of their studios where you can see their creative process, and buy art.
Brooklyn ARTery
Where: Rugby Road, next to Cortelyou Farmer’s Market, in Ditmas Park
When: Every Sunday starting this weekend through November (weather permitting) from 9am-3pm
The Brooklyn ARTery, is an artisan market which officially opened for business on Sept 14. The market was the idea of Susan Siegel, who also started the Cortelyou farmer’s market. Siegel said her work is about “filling niches that add value to the community.” When I asked her what made want to start a craft market, Siegel said that the idea came from the booming neighborhood of Ditmas Park. She noticed that so many new restaurants were opening, and that there were a lot of arts and craftspeople that lived in the area. The market features such wares as clothing, jewelry, kids’ furniture and food. The market is also still looking for more vendors. Siegel says she is looking for a wide variety of items and interested vendors should apply online. From a submission, she is looking to see a straight forward link to good quality items, and everything that the vendor wants to sell must be handmade.
BONUS: This outdoor market is the first step in a bigger plan that will include an artisan storefront that will also hold art classes held. The store’s permanent location on Cortelyou Road isn’t scheduled to open until next spring, but there will soon be a holiday pop-up gift shop opening in November nearby.
Until the store opens, art events such as Drink and Draw, which is an event with a drawing instructor who will give guidance and feedback while you draw from a live model, will be held at Lark Cafe on Church Ave. This event costs $35, and also includes a free beer so you can loosen up those wrists a little and draw like nobody’s watching. When the store opens, the classes there will range in price from $25-$35, and some will be single class sessions, while others will run for more in-depth six-week sessions Siegel says that the overall idea for the outdoor market, storefront, and art classes is that the prices will be low and affordable for the Brooklyn community.
Follow Marti @MartiZabell.
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