The Marketplace Pop Up is the collaborative brainchild of four entrepreneurs. Maple Ridge sisters Jacquelyn Swanson and Erika Felber are the owners of Dual Peaks Soap Co., making handmade bath, body and skincare products. Samantha York is the designer of the locally made Little Bandidos clothing line, and Shannon Knezetic of Grey and Beau produces an eco-friendly line of silk screen clothing for all ages.
These four women have more in common than entrepreneurial spirit (which they have in abundance), they’re also committed to supporting each other’s success and collectively marketing quality, locally made products. They met at various markets across the region and discovered a shared love of community and the connections afforded by the vendor experience.
“The market community is a tight community. The people are really remarkable. The spirit is one of empowering each other and helping each other succeed,” Knezetic says.
There was a gap in the Maple Ridge market, and the group decided to work together to organize and promote seasonal pop-up marketplaces in the community. They secured an arrangement with Fraserview Village Hall and will offer regular markets there throughout the year.
Swanson and Felber point to other positive market experiences and the desire to replicate that experience in Maple Ridge.
“We wanted to design a place where vendors and customers feel like they are part of something, where vendors can showcase what they love, and feel supported by each other,” Swanson says. “We wanted to offer something for the entire family and a place where the customers can get to know the makers, and we wanted to do that in Maple Ridge.”
In addition to building their businesses and brands, the four are building long-lasting friendships.
“We feel like we’re family,” York says. “The maker culture is very united. It is the antithesis to the competitive market. We do what we do for love, not money.”
Adds Knezetic, “It is about community over competition.”
Visitors to The Marketplace Pop Up can expect to be warmly welcomed. Vendors offer an amazing array of unique local products from apparel companies to candlemakers, greeting cards to macramé – definitely something for everyone! All the products are locally designed, often handmade, and tend toward the organic and natural.
The Marketplace Pop Up can be found online on Instagram and Facebook. Customers and vendors are welcome to connect with the organizers online to find out about coming markets and booking vendor space.
