Thousands of Winnipeggers were out shopping locally and thinking globally on Saturday.
140 vendors packed about 80,000 square feet in the basement of Winnipeg’s downtown Bay store for Third and Bird, an annual urban market.
Co-founder Charla Smeall said the first pop-up event nearly a decade ago attracted about 500 people. This year, she expected to see up to 8,000 people come through the doors and contribute to the local economy.
“Last year alone we generated 1.5 million dollars in vendor revenue that was spent here between our spring and Christmas markets,” Smeall said.
For Jenn McCurry, the owner of a local ceramics shop, the event is like a Christmas rush in May.
“We’re exposed to thousands and thousands of people and as a local maker that’s how we get our business growing and moving forward,” Mccurry told Global News.
Shopper Molly Meier said she’s been to similar markets across Canada as she tries to attend as many as she can.
“I love shopping local rather than buying things online or in commercial stores,” Meier said.
Shopping local was also the theme just minutes away in Osborne Village at Winnipeg Op-Shop, a pop-up flea market where 25 vendors were selling gently-used clothing and accessories from their own closet.
Founder Laura Durling said shopping at the unique flea market does much more than keep money in the community.
“It’s a really cool opportunity to just thrift shop and keep textiles out of landfills and save money,” Durling said. “There are so many benefits that you get out of being a shopper here.”
Vendor Jenn Foster was selling some of her wardrobe for at least half price.
“I buy a lot of clothes but I’ve realized that you end up tossing a lot of clothes and you’re just adding to waste,” she said. “I really am trying to live a zero waste lifestyle.”