Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – At the Juneau Arts and Culture Center (JACC) Saturday, shoppers could find pumpkin spice and ‘everything nice’.
At the Pumpkin Spice market, the JACC featured 35 vendors, which was an increase from their first Pumpkin Spice market last year.
Marketing Manager Traci Ferguson Hayes said it was their quickest-filled event. Vendor booths sold out within five days. She shared why this is their most popular artist’s market.
“Labeling it pumpkin spice and then having it in October where we’re starting to get a little bit of this spooky season but also embracing the fall. It just kind of brings everyone together and everyone is in this weird limbo after summer,” Ferguson Hayes said. “We still want to get together. We still want to participate in community events and support each other. I think this is a really great way to do it.”
This is how the Pumpkin Spice market came to be.
“Laura Miko, she is so creative. I pitched this idea last year about having some sort of a fall market because our vendors were just really eager to get their product out there,” she said.
It wasn’t just about early holiday shopping this time around. The second annual Pumpkin Spice market was also a food drive for the Southeast Alaska Food Bank.
“We’re getting so many donations for the Southeast Alaska Food Bank which is amazing,” she said. “Something that people don’t really know is that they can drop off food donations with us at any time throughout the year, as well as Centennial Hall.”
Local artists and student fundraisers were part of the event, with some booths selling out by the end of the day. One of those popular vendors was Ferguson Hayes’ family booth.
“My son is a vendor, he’s thirteen years old. His name is Skylar. He is going to Ecuador and the Galapagos next year through EF educational tours. It’s a group of middle school students that are going,” she said. “He’s fundraising for all the fees. He’s been to almost every market this summer, and he’s almost made his goal. He’s a big baker, he loves to be in the kitchen. Pumpkin pies, those are all sold out. I helped him make some apple turnovers. He made some rice krispie treats and snickerdoodles.”
Ferguson Hayes’ mom crochets kitchen towels, and she was also sold out on Saturday.
Another student booth was the Juneau Douglas High School art club with handmade ceramics.
