Richmond is all about local living and supporting the city, and what better way to celebrate the beautiful local culture we have, while contributing to the local economy, than to go to a market for and by Richmonders?
Richmond is all about local living and supporting the city, and what better way to celebrate the beautiful local culture we have, while contributing to the local economy, than to go to a market for and by Richmonders?
The Earth Day Bazaar, hosted by the VCU student organization Green Unity and the Rams Community Bazaar (RCB), hopes to provide a haven for economic and cultural exchange that appeals to the Richmond community as well as the VCU student body.
“The Bazaar is an event that promotes sustainable business and living. We strive to create a place for local artists, bakers, sellers, and citizens to come together,” said Ashley Grupenhoff, a coordinator for the Rams Community Bazaar. Vendors from all over town will be selling arts and crafts, fresh local foods, and other handcrafted items, while building a culture that promotes healthy living and creative entrepreneurship in Richmond. Think of it as a real-life Etsy shop with local vendors.
The Earth Day Bazaar is a part of the RCB, a student organization promoting a local market every semester. “The relationship between local businesses and the community has definitely grown stronger due to the face-to-face contact between buyer and seller. Many students and young entrepreneurs can use the bazaar as a space to network. The bazaar itself has become a sustainable event and the vendors themselves, who want the event to thrive, have put in the energy to create the event,” said Grupenhoff.
Grupenhoff put an emphasis on the idea that the Earth Day Bazaar will be completely local, with no middleman to distort the face-to-face transactions that have become rare these days. “My favorite part about the bazaar is to see, after all the work put in, the smiling faces of both the vendors and community. It is so easy to buy a cool poster or mug off the Internet, but to buy a piece of artwork or other items straight from the hands of the creator is something else. We are then helping each other out in first person, instead of succumbing to huge corporations,” she said.
In addition to the local vendors selling their work and goods, various organizations will also be participating to raise awareness for sustainable living as well. VCU’s Sustainability Office and the Community Garden will have workshops from seed planting to terrarium building, and numerous non-profits, such as the Richmond Wildlife Center, will be present to hold fundraisers and set up tables with information to educate the community on the various involvements Richmond has with living green.
Every year, the Earth Day Bazaar involves the customers by setting up an arts and crafts space where people can create something of their own, whether its contributing to a charcoal mural or making t-shirt bags. This year, the Bazaar will have a banner setup where people can watercolor, draw, color, and/or write what their idea of sustainability looks like. The idea is to inspire the community to make small and big changes and help Richmond become a more sustainable place to live.
Expect some amazing, eccentric, one-of-a-kind art by the person who lives a street down from you. Expect a terrarium to take home, and the perfect necklace for your mom. Expect to meet some great environmentally friendly people and to learn a thing or two on healthy eating. “The Bazaar is a place where everyone can come together to learn, meet, have some fun, and celebrate springtime!” said Grupenhoff.
The 2014 Earth Day Bazaar will be held on Tuesday, April 22, from 11am to 3pm in the Park Plaza at VCU. Admission is free and open to the public.
