WORCESTER – In 2022, Carissa Clearwater noticed that many of the art markets that used to be held in Worcester weren’t around anymore.
So when she heard that the owners of 100 Grove St. were looking to have a market in their courtyard, it booted her with the inspiration needed to launch the Worcester Bazaar there.
Since then, Clearwater has put on a total of ten markets with local artists, craft vendors, vintage clothing shops and food trucks. The last outdoor market of the year is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28, from 3-8 p.m.
There was a learning curve for Clearwater, who owns Rat’s Nest Hair Salon in the same building where the market is held. “It was just a new experience,” Clearwater said of running the market.
The market breaks even, so Clearwater is volunteering her time to run it. She said watching the community enjoy it and watching small businesses grow makes it worth it.
Despite the success, Clearwater was feeling burnt out after the first year and was considering discontinuing the bazaar.
Then, Clearwater was cutting Chris Michelotti’s hair. Michelotti had been running his own markets in Worcester and was feeling similar burnout, but realized they could join forces on the bazaar.
Michelotti runs Panduh Productions, which has put on events in the city including Creatures of Worcester at Electric Haze and other arts shows there.
Michelotti’s influence on the bazaar has included pushing the hours to 3-8 p.m. to give it more of a night market feel.
He went to Thailand on his honeymoon and said he fell in love with the markets over there.
Giving it more of a night market-feel has included adding a DJ who closes out the night. Pushing the hours later also meant the market would be open when the courtyard’s string lights turn on, which adds to the night market-feel, Michelotti said.
“The ambiance is just totally magical,” Clearwater said.
In addition to the DJ near the end of the market, Clearwater and Michelotti book musicians to perform throughout the event.
As for the vendors at the event, Michelotti said they want the market to feel like it’s curated. That has meant sifting through applications to make sure vendors are making the items they’re selling, according to Michelotti.
“We’re bringing in live artists. We’ve got small businesses, (including) artisanal stuff, we’ve got farms, local farms we try to support,” Michelotti said. “It’s really community first and really making sure people understand that we have to lean on each other.”
Some of the repeat vendors at the event have included Rock Harvest Farm; Allie and Jules – a local artist who sells stickers, prints and art cards; The Thicket – a secondhand and vintage plus-size clothing business; and Yaku Collective a skincare and wellness company.
When the events started last year they averaged about 15 vendors, and this year they are up to around 20, according to Clearwater.
Michelotti moved to Worcester after a short stint in Orlando and ten years in Seattle. Michelotti said in Seattle he and his friends were getting priced out of neighborhoods and had to move further and further away from the city.
Even though Worcester is still changing and growing, Michelotti said it still feels small enough that there’s power in just showing up.
“You had to have a lot of money in Seattle to have any voice, whereas here there’s a lot of ways to have a voice,” Michelotti said. “It’s not just money.”
Clearwater has lived in Worcester for the past 13 years and said that’s what’s great about Worcester, it’s a big city but it has a small town feel.
“Everybody is very supportive of one another and wants everybody to grow and succeed,” Clearwater said.
As for how the Worcester Bazaar will grow, Clearwater said because they’re a new team she and Michelotti are starting off slow and working out how they’re going to manage everything.
Some of Michelotti’s favorite moments from the bazaar have just been having a place to hang out with his wife and Clearwater said she loves making new friends at the events.
In addition to holding the last outdoor market of the year, Clearwater and Michelotti are working with the owner of Fuel America at 100 Grove St. to have an indoor holiday market on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kiernan Dunlop is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past five years reporting in Worcester, New Bedford and Antigua and Barbuda. She’s been published in Bloomberg, USA Today, Canary Media, MassLive, and the New Bedford Standard Times, among other outlets. She can be contacted at kdunlop@theworcesterguardian.org
