what

Festivus is a holiday market for the rest of us! Staged each December, we provide a human-scale alternative to the loneliness of on-line shopping or the hassle of big box holiday parking lots by featuring the best of local cottage industries whose business reflects our core values of ecology, fair trade, craftsmanship and personal customer service. 12 noon to 4 pm on the first 3 Sundays of December.

where

700 Magazine Street on the mural-adorned William B. Reily parking lot at the corner of Girod Street. In case of inclement weather, we set up in the attached garage. Rain or shine, it’s Festivus time!

when

Sunday

December 2, 2007

December 9, 2007

December 16, 2007

12 noon to 4 pm

who

marketumbrella.org (the folks who bring you the Crescent City Farmers Market) have created a holiday market for local cottage industries to sell their products and services in December.

To look at artists, fair traders, musicians and services from past Festivus markets, click the vendors tab.

buzz

We just love the way people have taken a random popular cultural reference and ran with it. To see what we mean, buy this wonderful book. We’re in it!

 

Farmer’s Market adds Festivus fete
By Sheila Stroup
The Times-Picayune
Thursday, December 4, 2003

If you’re looking for gifts that are as special as New Orleans, I bring you news of great joy.

On Saturday mornings, you can attend Festivus: A Holiday Market For The Rest Of Us, Richard McCarthy’s latest wacky idea for the Crescent City Farmers Market at 700 Magazine St.

Make your way to Girod Street, which will be blocked off for the occasion, and have a stress-free shopping experience.

“I think the entire two blocks we take up will be packed with musicians and vendors,” Richard said. “It will be like strollingin a town square.”

Vendors will sell unique hand-crafted items, including things made with recycled materials.

Other cottage industries

Richard, director of the 8-year-old Crescent City Farmers Market, has been wanting to add a nonfood component for a long time.

“We’ve been trying to figure out how to have a venue for people who don’t do food and agriculture but have plenty of other homegrown talents,” he said.

December seemed the perfect time to bring other Crescent City cottage industries to the market.

“We asked ourselves, ‘What are people looking for? What are we looking for?’” Richard said. And Festivus was born.

At Festivus, you’ll find boxes sculpted from riverbed clay, wallets created from duct tape, rebuilt bicycles, one-of-a-kind cigar-box purses. You’ll find handmade journals, Christmas ornaments, doll clothes, toys and jewelry, and you’ll meet the people who created them.

“I’m excited about it,” Richard said. “I plan to do a lot of shopping myself.”

A pole for grievances

Festivus will include activities for children, hot breakfasts at Surrey’s Juice Bar and Café, even $1-per-minute massages in what Richard calls “the Office of Homeland Serenity.”

Best of all, shoppers will get a chance to air their grievances beneath the Festivus pole.

The pole, inspirted by Richard’s love of goofiness, pays tribute to the founder of Festivus, Frank Costanza on the TV show “Seinfeld.”

Frank, worn down by the years of competitive holiday shopping for his son George, decided to create his own holiday, a time for family members to come together at the dinner table to air their grievances for the year.

The market doesn’t have a table big enough to seat everyone who has grievances from 2003, but it will have the silver Festivus pole.

“We’ll have long strips of paper and Sharpies for people to write down their grievances, and we’ll string ‘em up,” Richard said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to air mine.”

vendors

Festivus 2007:

Bittersweet Confections

handmade chocolate truffles

The Mother Ship

vintage remade items

Gutwrench

handsewn NOLA books

Pamela Becker

architectural jewelry

New Orleans Glassworks & Printmaking Studio

torchworked glass

New Orleans Urban Swamp Threads

local folk cards and clothes

Idle Hands

handpainted clothing

art by Mags!

stenciled one of a kinds

Red Beans and Nice

Second-line fans

Upper Ninth

homeopathic facial products

Knitzy

scarves suitable for cold air or parades

Jeremy the Alien Designs

stuffed (alien?) animals

Kettle Moraine Soap Company

handmade soaps

rue dauphine designs

cockroach pin originator

Bayou Salvage

katrina debris 2D house sculptures

Back o’ town bikes

old-made new bicycles

Patricia Gorman Designs, LLC

corsets, other fabulous girly items

Kathleen Olsen Grumich

handpainted purses & shawls

Kiki Huston Jewelry Designs

precious NOLA charm necklace

Glamour Trash

colorful, funky pendants

Unique Products

Mardi nightlights; blue tarp wizards

Octavia Books

local authors in print form

Elms Designs

recycled windows made gorgeous

Off the Beaten Way

knitted/crochet scarves, imported fair trade items

Oliver Manhattan

Saints Hats!

Cree's Cheap Chic Cree-ations

katrina memory frames

Hidden Women of the Sea

natural seaglass jewelry

High Bohemia

eclectic handmade dolls

French Quarter Candles

candles as seen on Oprah!

Mudhand

thrown pottery  and sculptures

Louisiana Himalaya Association

fair trade Tibetan items

Wearable Vegetables

punny clothes made locally

Stacey Stanfill

handsculpted bowl and plate sets

Twisted Fibers

handspun yarn

Basin Street Records

music from local hands and hearts

Kabuki Design

famous hatmaker with SWB berets

See It My Way Photo

on-site family portraits

Inexplicable Confetti

design ready linoleum tiles

Heather Elizabeth Designs

gift-perfect winestoppers

The Magnolia School

art made by children with special needs

New Orleans Food Cooperative

local food activists running Office of Homeland Serenity

Girls First

high school girls desiring leadership and excellence who also love wrapping gifts!

Balance Massage

soothing and attentive professional massages

IN Exchange

socially-responsible fair trade items from Ecudor, Brazil and India

Dante’s Kitchen

music from local hands and hearts

Crepes a la Carte

french crepes

White Oaks Farm

fresh wreaths from CCFM vendor

A&K Citrus

satsumas

Ye Olde Kettle Corn

bags of kettle corn

La Davina

sorbets in unbelievable taste combinations

VooDough Bakery

gingerbread men for sale

Would you like to become a vendor at festivus? Click here to download an application.

contact

Telephone: 504.861.5898

Facsimile: 504.866.8451

E-mail: festivus@marketumbrella.org

To download an application: click here.