NORTHAMPTON — From repurposed sweaters made into tote bags to yardsticks salvaged to make business card holders, the final “Maker’s Market” show at The Parlor Room this Saturday will feature a variety of items from local craft makers.
For the past five years, the Parlor Room has been host to the event, which typically features more than a dozen vendors at the space during a single weekend. But this year, the event has had to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions for the seasonal event.
Jim Olsen, owner and founder of record label Signature Sounds, which operates the Parlor Room as a live music and events space, said during a normal year, there’s typically 18 vendors during a single weekend. This year, six different vendors were each invited to sell their wares during the event, which began Nov. 21 and concludes on Saturday. The sale will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’re making sure that there’s masks and social distancing and hand sanitizer and separate entrances and exits to make sure that everybody feels safe,” he added. “So far, it’s worked out pretty well.”
Olsen said all the vendors taking part in Maker’s Market are local craftspeople. Part of the decision to continue the Maker’s Market was in order to support that community.
“There’s so many limited opportunities for them,” he added. “A lot of them make their money in this period. We really wanted to keep it going.”
Some of the five vendors slated for this Saturday include Etsy maker “FilzWork,” who creates totes of all sizes made from repurposed sweaters. She’ll also sell sweaters for kids, knit hats, holiday ornaments and pin cushions, according to the Maker’s Market Facebook page. There’s also repurposed goods from Reclaimed Crafts such as wine stoppers made from reused spigots.
With most live events canceled this year, Olsen said he’s grateful for the Parlor Room to reopen even on a temporary basis.
“This is the first time we’ve welcomed customers back to our space since everything shut down,” he added. “It feels really nice to welcome people back even on a limited basis. We’re seeing a lot of old friends passing through the room. Everyone seems pretty appreciative and everyone’s being careful.”
The Parlor Room is located at 32 Masonic St.
Chris Goudreau can be reached at cgoudreau@gazettnet.com.