Crockett Chamber Planning Shop Late, Shop Local and Christmas Pop-Up Market
By Jason Jones
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – Owning and running a small business can sometimes feel like being alone while wading through a big, dangerous world. Fortunately for businesses in the Crockett area, a personal bodyguard keeps watch.
Once again, the Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce is stepping up to offer artisans, craftsmen, and vendors the opportunity to make their wares available to a large and enthusiastic crowd during the Christmas season.
The Christmas Pop-Up Market will take place in conjunction with the Shop Late Shop Local program. According to Chamber Director Liza Clark, the Shop Late Shop Local program is for downtown merchants who stay open a little later during the month of December, allowing shoppers the opportunity to do a little more shopping in their hometown.
“This actually started in 2019 where we did a Shop Late Shop Local that incorporated downtown businesses,” Clark said. “For businesses that didn’t have a brick and mortar, we did a Pop-Up market for them.”
The program runs for four Thursdays during December. Participating downtown merchants keep their doors open until 8 p.m. for extended shopping. Shoppers can pick up a printed “passport” which can be stamped by the downtown merchants as well as the Pop-Up market participants. The stamped passports can then be submitted to the Chamber for a grand prize drawing.
“The grand prize drawing consists of at least a $25 gift certificate from each participating merchant or Pop-Up market vendor,” Clark said. “This year we are looking at about $550 worth of gifts in the ultimate grand prize drawing.”
Passports are available at participating merchants or at the Chamber office.
There will be two drawings, on December 9 and 16 as well as the big grand prize drawing on December 17.
“The Pop-Up Market sort of took on a life of its own,” Clark said. “We had so many people who are local makers, so we opened up the Pop-Up on two additional Saturdays, the 11th and the 18th.”
The first Pop-Up Market will set up in the conference rooms at the Civic Center, with some possible outdoor spots, weather permitting.
The second Pop-Up Market on the 18th will be a bigger event, depending on how many participants take part, and will take place in the Civic Center main auditorium.
“This is really designed for our local makers, to show our community what great artisans, what great craftsmen we have here.”
There is no fee to participate in the Pop-Up Market. The Chamber simply asks for a donation toward raffle prizes or a small $20 donation toward the CACC Scholarship fund.
Security will be provided at the Civic Center on Thursday and Friday nights so that participants can leave their booths set up for the weekend. They must be taken down each Saturday when the event ends.
To be a part of the Christmas Pop-Up Market or for more information on Shop Late Shop Local, contact the Chamber office at (936) 544-2359
Jason Jones may be reached via email at [email protected]
