By Lili McMurtrey
The full moon shone bright over Bellingham as rain clouds moved overhead, covering downtown in an ominous, spooky curtain. Inside the Shakedown, a makeshift market had been made for local artists and creators to set up shop for the night. Under dimmed lights, local vendors sold wares ranging from jewelry and baked goods to beauty products and paintings.
The autumnal display is known as Harvest: a Full Moon Pop-up Market. Created by Sarah Woods, owner and baker at Gathered Confections, the market on Oct. 25 was the third of its kind. Woods said each year she carefully curates a group of vendors specifically for the full moon and Halloween season.
“I do love a good theme, so I think one of my main goals was to not have it feel like a rehashing of the Commercial Street Night Market or the Farmers Market,” she said. “I wanted something with its own vibe and feel to it.”
Woods said Harvest was created out of her own desire to be involved in pop-up markets. She said after continually trying to get involved in other local markets, she decided to put on her own. Woods said the first market was put together during her first year of business with Gathered Confections.
“It’s a great way to get people to know that you exist,” she said.
The dark and foreboding Shakedown set the stage for each artist and creator to showcase what they’d been working on. Woods’ confections, including pumpkin custards and apple butter cupcakes, were delicately laid out for guests to enjoy.
Attendees milled around the bar, chatting with vendors and grabbing cocktails. Ciara Sana, the artist who created the market’s poster, sat at her table filled with stickers, buttons, prints and magnets.
Sana said she’s been a professional artist for about four years. She said she started pursuing art seriously when she moved to Bellingham from Guam. Her portraits often feature a diverse collection of women with colorful cheeks.
“I like to feel empowered most of the time so I look for women who embrace that,” she said. “There are a lot of women that I am inspired by when I’m doing portraits.”
Sana’s stickers, greeting cards and prints can be found around town at places like the Community Food Co-op, Novato and Apse Adorn.
Rather than instruments, rhythms and tunes, the stage was filled with gems and crystals from local vendor Upcycled Shiny Things. Necklaces were hung in vintage suitcases and bowls overflowed with stones of all colors.
