Yi Ya (Becky) TsengFor 35 D.C.-based vendors selling handmade goods on a single block near Dupont Circle, the holiday market represents more than festive shopping—it’s a financial lifeline during the slow season and a chance to connect directly with customers.
“The Dupont Circle Holiday Market keeps the lights on for us when the slow season hits and allows us to reinvest into the business,” said Alejandro Buxton, founder of Smell of Love Candles, a local business that participated in last year’s market and returned this year.
The Dupont Circle Holiday Market opened Nov. 14 on New Hampshire Avenue NW, drawing shoppers onto the 1500 block. After years of competition from online retail and shifting work patterns, the market has become a way to pull foot traffic back to neighborhood streets.
Buxton, who hand-makes candles in his basement while attending school, said the money he earns from the holiday market helps support a scholarship fund he created for student with disabilities.
“Customers who come to shop at Dupont should know that they’re not just buying a candle, they’re buying their personality in a jar, but they’re also supporting my dreams and college fund,” Buxton said.
Meriam Cherif, founder of Alyssa Bazaar, which sells handmade olive-wood kitchenware and pottery, prepared more inventory this year after learning what customers liked at last year’s market.
“I understand the customer now,” Cherif said, adding that the market gives local small businesses a chance to feel the customer and interact in ways online sales cannot.
Jenilee Hurley, co-owner and chief sales officer of ETHICGOODS, a D.C.-based jewelry company, joined the market for the first time this year to connect with customers beyond her primarily online business.
“We don’t get a chance to interact with those who wear our jewelry” through online sales, Hurley said. “We love being able to connect with our customers and the community.”
The market, organized by Diverse Markets Management in partnership with the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District, runs through Dec. 23, closing only on Nov 27. for Thanksgiving and on Dec. 1.
This year’s location on the 1500 block of New Hampshire Avenue NW marks a change from last year’s site on 19th Street.
Unlike the larger DowntownDC Holiday Market, which hosts vendors from several states, the Dupont Circle market is intentionally smaller and limited to D.C.-based businesses.
One visitor who declined to give her name said she and her friend chose to visit Dupont Circle specifically because they knew the market was opening there.
“We saw that the Dupont market was starting this week, so we decided to come walk around and then grab dinner nearby,” she said. “It’s a nice excuse to spend a little more time in the neighborhood.”
ANC 2B02 Commissioner Jeff Rueckgauer said after construction on the Connecticut Avenue “deckover” project made 19th Street unavailable, he worked with the BID and Diverse Markets Management to move the event to the 1500 block of New Hampshire Avenue, which he described as an “underutilized” commercial street.
He said the crowds coming to the holiday tents are bound to provide a boost to many nearby businesses, especially those coping with construction along Connecticut Avenue.
For vendors, the market’s value extends beyond sales. Buxton said the long hours feel easier when surrounded by other small-business owners facing the same slow season. Hurley described the market as a chance to “share the stories of our artisans and celebrate the season together.”
Despite logistical challenges—Buxton mentioned preparing inventory around the clock while accommodating his school schedule, and Cherif noted that opening day preparation proved more stressful than producing inventory—vendors expressed enthusiasm about connecting with customers who value locally made goods.
“It’s truly a little community that keeps us going through the slowest weeks of the year,” Buxton said.
For more event information, visit DC HOLIDAY MARKET at Dupont Circle.
Ellen Tannor
Isabel Del Mastro
George Smith
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