Market Street cocktail mainstay Blackbird is set to shake things up a bit with the debut of its first-ever Blackbird Bazaar tomorrow afternoon. We caught up with Ariel Dunitz-Johnson, Blackbird’s curator, to hear more about what we can expect at tomorrow’s craft soiree.

With roughly six years of experience curating at the Lexington Club, Dunitz-Johnson, a local illustrator whose work has been displayed on Muni, has been planning the Blackbird Bazaar for the better part of a year. Acknowledging the bar’s commitment to supporting the arts, Dunitz-Johnson said that her inspiration for the event was wanting “to incorporate something creative into something that people are already familiar with, but in a different way.”

“Blackbird is known for being a really laid-back, neighborhood bar, and I thought it would be a really neat way to get other creative people involved,” she said. “Times are pretty hard for artists and for people in the creative field trying to make a living around here. I was just trying to think of opportunities that I could do as a curator to help provide space and community.”

Dunitz-Johnson’s hand-selected array of local vendors represent a wide range of artistry and creative skill sets from around the Bay Area, and will include jewelry, ceramics, plants and bags. “Everyone is doing something different,” she said. “We wanted to highlight San Francisco artists.” For a complete list of vendors, visit the Blackbird Bazaar event page on Facebook.

A sampling of vendors who will be present at Sunday's Blackbird Bazaar.

If all goes well, Dunitz-Johnson would like to see the event return as a regular feature at Blackbird. “If we get a good response and the vendors feel good and are being successful, I would love to make it a bi-annual event,” she said.

For the first edition of the bazaar, Blackbird will be taking advantage of the event to roll out its spring drink menu. Dunitz-Johnson describes the cocktail list as “absolutely incredible.” The bar’s menu will include drink names like Mowgli's Daiquiri, Jungle Julep, Pain Killer, and Sweet Leaf.

When asked why people should come out to the inaugural Blackbird Bazaar, Dunitz-Johnson said: “This is an opportunity to not only support local businesses, but to actually meet the people who are making this stuff. You get to have conversations with folks who are making things by hand, and I think that’s special. This event intends to showcase a sample of what makes this city so amazing.”

Dunitz-Johnson hopes that the event will attract people from the neighborhood and the greater city and Bay Area. With only two weeks to Mother’s Day, the event is a good excuse to shop for gifts while supporting local craftspeople (and partaking in springtime libations).

“It will highlight people who are doing what they love and are following their passions. That needs to be supported as much as possible right now in San Francisco.”