THE STORY OF
BAZAR À LA CARTE
Origin
We started hosting our markets in 2020 as a way to cultivate culture, connection, and commerce during the midst of a pandemic that tested the integrity of humanity. They took place in the parking lot adjacent to our first storefront. Inspiring the name: Bazar À La Carte or (Market on the Side).
Ethos
Bazar À La Carte is specifically curated to give a variety of creatives an opportunity to share and sell their valuable work in a nurturing, low-risk/high-reward environment. We do NOT require any vendor fees. Our vendors will always set up for free and keep all of their earnings. Our larger goal is to foster a supportive ecosystem of creators and buyers who both value mindful consumption, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
Back then, we landed our first hole-in-the-wall storefront at the historic Seagle Building, located at 408 West University Avenue in Gainesville, Florida.
Our First Home
The Seagle Building was a blank slate that offered everything our creative team could ask for: charm, quirkiness, accessibility, versatile space, and rent cheap enough for us to survive. We combined our years of experiences, traumas, and observations as locals born and raised in the area to create a concept that would breathe life into our desolate downtown building.
The Fruits of Our Labor
We started with just 12 vendors. Next there were 24. And then 36. After a year of curating monthly markets we had over 48 vendors and thousands of community members in attendance. Once the word got out, we quickly realized that we would need a lot more space to do our thing...
A New Day
After a year-long fight, we landed our new home in the heart of Downtown Gainesville at 60 SW 2ND Street. Opening up space for our community to convene and shift the way that people think about Florida.
Today, our bi-monthly market features 112+ vendors, dj's and live performances, food trucks, circus performers, and constantly changing themes that make each event uniquely memorable for the thousands of attendees. We estimate that the event generates over $150k in positive economic value per year for the city. As of now this event is produced solely by our team at How Bazar.
We are thankful for the relationships we have built with our downtown neighbors: Volta Coffee, Loosey's, DTC Liquor, Alpin Bistro, The Bull and many others in the downtown area that help to create an event that positively benefits the entire area.