Tues. November 8, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – Ready to shop until you drop? The seventh-annual Downtown Holiday Market, produced by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with Diverse Markets Management, will return on Friday, December 2, and run through Friday, December 23, offering seasonal outdoor shopping centered at 8th and F streets, NW, and an extra day of browsing this year to satisfy everyone’s shopping spree.
An array of exhibitors, local food merchants, and fabulous musical entertainers will enliven the shopping experience and foster a festive atmosphere. Discerning buyers will be able to purchase unique gifts ranging from fine art, quality crafts, jewelry and accessories to pottery, photography, clothing and specialty foods. The Market will feature more than 150 exhibitors and artisans, who will rotate in groups of 50 to ensure an eclectic mixture each visit.
To accommodate workers, residents and visitors, the Market will be open daily from noon to 8:00 pm on F Street between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and National Portrait Gallery.
The local artisan community and others participate wholeheartedly in this festive, winter wonderland, which features local merchants and fair trade items of exceptional quality. Warm up with hot, new products from The Alpaca Girl; recycled stainless steel/aluminum wall sculptures and jewelry from DC artist Jimmy Mann; purses, wallets and Kindle holders made from recycled books by local artist Caitlin Phillips; unique collages by DC photographer Matthew Parker; and fair trade and eco-material toys, pillows, accessories and onesies for infants and toddlers by Mirasa Designs.
Musical entertainment to keep shoppers energized will come from a variety of genres, including jazz, swing, blues, bluegrass, a cappella, and brass. Catch Patti Reese (acoustic roots); Project Natale (jazz); Orquesta La Leyenda (latin); GrooveQuest (rock & roll); Kol Harauch Trio (bluegrasss and Klezmer); and The Glorious Sounds (brass).
Shoppers will also be able to indulge in delectable treats to fuel their shopping spree. Vendors will include J. Chocolatier (fine chocolates and Parisian-style drinking chocolate, made on site ); Curbside Cupcakes; Migue’s Magnificent Mini-Donuts (piping hot mini-donuts); and Alexa’s Empanadas (cinnamon Churros and empanadas filled with savory meat and vegetables).
Last year, more than 150,000 shoppers attended the Market, which is accessible by Metrorail, Metrobus and Capital Bikeshare, which has stations located on site. In keeping with the DowntownDC BID’s greening initiatives, the Market is powered by generators running on bio-diesel fuel, and its publicity materials are printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled materials. Recycling bins are also available on site.
For more information about the Market, visit www.downtownholidaymarket.com.
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About the DowntownDC Business Improvement District
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research to help diversify the economy and enhance the Downtown experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 825 properties from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. As a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader, the DowntownDC BID promotes public/private partnerships to create a remarkable urban environment. For more information, visit www.downtowndc.org or follow on Twitter @downtowndcbid.
About Diverse Markets Management
Diverse Markets Management (DMM), LLC is a DC-based firm specializing in the development and management of outdoor public exhibitor markets. Principals in the firm are experienced leaders in specialty vending and in managing relations with this unique group of small business entrepreneurs. Members of the DMM team have an experienced and successful history of working together on markets, especially at historic Eastern Market. Because DMM has actual investments and livelihoods based on vending and deep roots in the city, there is a particularly personal commitment to a market’s success. DMM is strongly dedicated to developing and maintaining a financially sustainable market while enhancing the ongoing integration of a market into the community. www.diversemarkets.net.