Lents ‘Holiday Pop-up Market’ returns

Find out just how popular this December ‘Pop-up’ was this year – in outer East Portland, in Lents Town Center …

From the start, business is brisk as the second annual Lents Holiday Pop-up Market opens.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

After a successful outing during last year’s Holiday Season, on December 17 and 18 the Lents Holiday Pop-up Market again opened its doors, temporarily occupying still-empty ground floor retail space in Lents Commons, facing SE Foster Road at 92nd Avenue.

It took off from the moment they opened. Many people came to “shop small” – to patronize, and support local crafters and makers for the season.

Prosper Portland event organizer Carolina Nascimento, helper Taishona Carpenter, and Venture Portland Lents Grown Business Association District Manager Dana Nardi, all are thrilled to distribute Local Food & Beverage Tickets to shoppers.

“I’m super excited we’re able to do it again this year at this location,” exclaimed market organizer Carolina Nascimento – an event contractor with Prosper Portland.

“Vendors were a little harder to come by this year, because hosting pop-up markets has gotten very popular in this city,” Nascimento told East Portland News.

The space hosted 15 vendor spaces each day for a cumulative total of 20 vendors who were at the event over both days. Although some vendors came from outside the neighborhood, Nascimento pointed out that they did prioritize local businesses and crafters while here.

Showing one of her creations for sale is Lindsay Yelas of un/earth, the studio.

“But, our neighborhood is growing really quickly,” she added. “And, I think there are more people interested in ‘shopping small’ and supporting ‘little business’ this year, rather than just getting everything online.”

Vendors said that they were delighted to see a steady stream of shoppers come into the event. “We’ve only been open for two and half hours, and we’ve already had about 200 people come through,” Nascimento grinned. “That’s almost double the traffic we had last year which is really amazing.”

This year, shoppers who spent $30 or more with a vendor received red tickets to access an exclusive food and beverage special at local participating businesses, including:

The Zed
Humdinger Pizza
Bella’s Italian Bakery
Ding Tea
Nectar

“And, we’re so grateful for having way more support this year from Venture Portland, Lents Grown, Ideal PDX, and Young Gifted and Black for our event,” commended Nascimento.

All this shopping, plus snacks and coffee, make the Lents Holiday Pop-up Market a delightful place to get Holiday gifts.

If you missed it this year, we’re sorry. We promoted the Lents Holiday Pop-up Market in our Community Calendar for five weeks! But look for it to reappear, like Holiday magic, next year.

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