The push for supporting local businesses as well as enjoying handmade creations in partnership with local artists has recently been in the Sonoma spotlight. With vaccines continuing to roll out, there is now a safe way to support local creators and their work amidst the pandemic. Visiting the Sebastopol Makers Market has become a popular activity for many locals to enjoy on a day where many choose their settings differently.

Free admission, “The Makers Market” will be hosted by the Sebastopol Downtown Association on the first Saturday of every month from 12 p.m. 4 p.m. at the Sebastopol Plaza and is marketed as, “Savor the Bizarre, Shop Handmade Items and one of a kind Gifts.” Visiting the market’s website, more background information is disclosed, “Downtown Sebastopol, Calif. is a friendly Bay Area destination, full of small town charm with unique independently owned businesses.”

There is a lot going on in this area and there are many opportunities for Sonoma State University students and locals to shop from backyard vendors and merchants. Allowing handmade marketplaces to reopen after a hiatus of closures will be vital for small businesses and may give sales a chance to pick up in this stage of reopening. Additionally, people can easily submit ideas to their website, telling the public, “We are seeking vendors who are Artsy/Makers/Starting a Cottage Business, to Be a Part of Our Monthly Makers Market! Please send us a message with your talent along with any social media profiles that we may peruse to learn about your craft.”

 The Sebastopol downtown area also offers a very wide variety of activities and opportunities for locals to enjoy. In addition to this monthly market, there are an abundance of shops and restaurants in the area. Before or after visiting the handmade market, one can also take part in some self care or see a professional expert for a meeting. There is such a wide range of opportunities that goes far beyond the buzz of the market itself.

Locals and visitors alike may appreciate the depth that they discover behind this market and the town that hosts the entire event. Cultivating communities around creative artists during a pandemic has been challenging for many cities to navigate, but Sebastopol has set a strong example of what it means to set a standard for those who follow them. 

Additionally, in California, things have continued to reopen gradually. Yesterday, Sacramento’s public radio station, CapRadio spoke about the new in-person openings stating, “Disneyland has reopened in Anaheim, cruise lines are announcing sailing dates by midsummer, and more doors and venues are swinging open now that over 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These reopenings will only continue to allow locals to support small businesses hands on and in their own communities.” The hiatus in retail shopping that occurred in the last year is unprecedented and companies have been waiting for open signs to return. 

Ultimately, this has been a challenging time for many creative minds in various fields, and exposure to artist’s work has been limited for months at a time in a tangible setting. For a vast amount of art pieces, they may not be fully appreciated for the same details as an in person viewing of the same work may gauge. These artists have continued to push through limited distribution of their work in an unusual time but vaccines have made events like these more feasible in recent months.