The Public Market is almost back, and it’s poised to be bigger than ever.
The 36th annual holiday market will be open over Thanksgiving weekend. It opens at noon Friday, Nov. 23 and closes at 7 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, it will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Organizer Peter Metcalfe said this year’s market will feature more vendors, more venues and more parking.
“I’m expecting around 180 to 200 vendors,” Metcalfe said. “They’re coming from all over Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Probably more than ever before we’re getting representation from around the Southeast.”
That tops last year’s total of 160 vendors.
The vendors will be peddling their wares in Centennial Hall, Juneau Arts & Culture Center and Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall.
“The ambition in the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall is to create an Alaska Native arts and crafts show,” Metcalfe said. “This year, it won’t be exclusively Alaska Native arts and crafts, but there will be a strong showing.”
Admission to the JACC and the EP Hall will be free and admission to Centennial Hall will be $7.50.
Additionally, there will be a simultaneous authors and artists market in the Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum.
“I’m looking at that as a collaboration,” Metcalfe said.
That artists market will be open noon-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. It will be closed Sunday.
“We’re really excited to be part of this,” said Lisa Golisek-Nakerv, operations manager for the division of libraries, archives and museums. “We thought based on the mission of the Library, Archives and Museum, wouldn’t it be a fun way to promote artists and authors both. We’re breaking into this with the hope it will become an annual event.”
So far nine authors and artists have signed up for the market, but the atrium has room for 15, Golisek-Nakerv said, and any artists or authors who have merchandise and would be interested in participating in the two-day market can rent a boot online at: Foslam.org/market.
The inclusion of the state museum and EP Hall helped create additional parking for the event, Metcalfe said, and the Juneau District Heating Co. is allowing use of its parking lot, too, and Juneau parking garages will also offer free parking Thursday through Sunday.
A Juneau Tours trolley will make a continuous loop with stops at the various market locations.
“That way if there’s inclement weather, and they don’t want to walk, they don’t have to,” Metcalfe said.
• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com.
Tyler Thomas takes a peak at Barbara Mitchell’s brown boot stockings on display at Public Market in Centennial Hall on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
