Red Hook Business Alliance returns to BWAC, by Brian Abate

The Red Hook Holiday Market runs one more weekend, the 21st and 22nd, from 1-6 pm. The Holiday Market is presented by the Red Hook Business Alliance and Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) and will take place at BWAC, 481 Van Brunt St. Door #7A.

The Red Hook Business Alliance was founded in 2019 by Susan Povich and Victoria Alexander to represent manufacturers, retailers, restaurants, bars, non-profits, artists, and professionals throughout the neighborhood. Carly Baker-Rice is currently the program manager and executive director.

“This is our second year being in one large space,” said Baker-Rice. “Conceptually, the reason we do an event like this is it helps more than one sector. We don’t represent or support just retail businesses, but also manufacturers, freelancers, home-based businesses, and artists as well. You’ll see people from all of these different sectors at the Holiday Market including some who have other jobs and do this on the side.

“We’re also bringing people to Red Hook as foot traffic with the hope that they’re also going to go to some stores. There’s also a chance for them to stay and get food in the neighborhood too. It’s a lot tougher to get people down here in the cold weather, and this is the most powerful reason to get people here in the winter.”

The Holiday Market is self-funded and the money that comes in from booth fees is used for marketing.

“We have everybody’s email who has applied before, we put up flyers, use Instagram, and we use a Google Form to collect information, which is how people apply to be in the event,” Baker-Rice said. “We want to make sure there is a good mix of things in the event and that it is handmade or vintage. This is intended to be a maker-type event and participants pick which dates they want to be here.”

Shopping online has continued to take away business from markets.
“This year we’re going to have an area where people can buy Red Hook products online,” Baker-Rice said. “There are businesses that aren’t able to staff a vending booth for the weekend but they sell things online. One of the big ways that we can increase the number of people shopping locally is by demonstrating that it’s just as easy to buy something online from a local business as it is to buy online from non-local companies.

Another change at the Holiday Market this year is there will be packing and shipping at BWAC.

“On the last weekend Cobble Hill Variety will be on-site to do packing and shipping before shoppers leave the building,” Baker-Rice said. “We’re trying to make shopping local as easy as possible. We’re also putting up a gift guide online.”

“The best part is seeing some of the same people coming back year after year and then seeing others who are doing it for the first time,” Baker-Rice said. “I’ve seen artists who just wanted to do one day since they’ve never done a market before and now I see them on Instagram and they’re doing great and selling in stores in Brooklyn which is so cool. It’s giving people a chance to see what happens and be an entrepreneur but in a lower-cost way than some of the bigger holiday markets.”