Chicago's Merchandise Mart was a hive of activity this weekend as tens of thousands flocked to the 22nd annual One of a Kind Holiday Show, an event that's become a staple for holiday shoppers and a lifeline for creatives like Donzell Gordon. The self-taught woodturning artist from Avondale, who had reservations about profitability last year, found reassurance when a patron snapped up 11 of his handmade bowls, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. "This will carry me again until the rest of the art shows start back up again," Gordon told the publication.
The event, which ran from Thursday to Sunday, drew an estimated 50,000 people seeking unique, handcrafted items. Vendors like Gordon and the co-founders of Serious Lip Balm, Khara Koffel and Megan Luckey, have found the gathering so beneficial that it has allowed them to limit their market presence and enjoy more family time, according to reports by PipaNews. Koffel expressed her joy at the event's impact, saying, "It helps us to be able to earn money for the business... but also it allows us more time with our families so that we’re not traveling every weekend."
First-timers and seasoned attendees alike navigated through the maze of goods from over 500 artists, making the Merchandise Mart transform into a ‘massive’ and ‘huge’ wonderland of crafts and entrepreneurial spirit. Abby Bisi and Claire Bennett, two locals from Wicker Park, took several laps to scout potential purchases. Bennett shared the sentiment found among many patrons: "That’s the coolest part," she recounted to the Chicago Sun-Times, about buying a sail bag crafted from recycled sails from a German sailmaker.
Families like Amanda Walker and her daughter Eliza from Atlanta have turned the annual event into a tradition, with the latter thrilled at the prospects of finding 'different stuff' and ‘one-of-a-kind’ items every year. Even seasoned vendors like Gordon admitted to the overwhelming scale of the event; last year, he jestingly recalled to PipaNews, "I got lost going to the bathroom." But in the end, good shoes and a sense of adventure seemed to be the recommended recipe for both sellers and shoppers to enjoy the spirited bustle of this Chicago holiday highlight.
