Avondale Holiday MarketFest Coming Dec. 1

Hoping to capitalize on the Avondale Point Business District's reputation for a hip and trendy spot in West Ashley, business owners Allison Merrick and Julia Pagán are launching the first Avondale Holiday MarketFest.

Set for noon, Saturday, Dec. 1, the market will feature several artisans and crafters set up farmers market style along with approximately 30 Avondale area businesses offering sales, deals and specials all day. Many of the businesses are also donating raffle prizes and will be handing out tickets with purchases during the market, Merrick said.

"We just want to bring people here to shop for the holidays," Merrick said. "Shop or eat anywhere in Avondale and you'll get a raffle ticket."

"We love this neighborhood, we live here, we work here, we walk here," Pagán said. "We see all these farmers markets, makers markets, etc., it bummed me out that Avondale didn't have something like that."

Pagán and Merrick along with several other area business owners who have since gotten involved, began planning the MarketFest about a month ago. Both spent time in the San Francisco Bay area before arriving in Charleston's Avondale area, and were excited by the prospect of attracting more people to the area with an outdoor market.

"We felt like with out new blood and new energy we should form a group that wanted to work on it," Pagán said. "We keep building interest in it and it's snowballing. It's great."

They hope the market will be successful enough to become an annual or even semiannual event. The Avondale Holiday MarketFest will run noon - 3 p.m., Saturday Dec. 1. The market will stretch from the Low Country Scooter to SpaceCraft.