Brooklyn's Winter Wonderland pop-up marketplace highlights small businesses after a difficult year
NEW YORK — Brooklyn kicked off its annual Winter Wonderland pop-up marketplace highlighting locally made products Saturday.
The grand opening ceremony was held on the 15th annual Small Business Saturday. It's the fifth year for Bedford-Stuyvesant's annual outdoor market.
"Shop small because you're really gonna make somebody's life better"
Kiriiah Mekongo is among this year's vendors. She is an artist and entrepreneur, calling herself a one-woman show as she highlights the products from her shop Kulture Boutik by Okoba Tribe.
"Shop small because you're really gonna make somebody's life better," she said.
But she says getting here hasn't been easy.
"I opened the store, my first store, this year, 2024. It has been the toughest year of my life," Mekongo said.
Dale Charles, executive director of the Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District, is all too familiar with the struggles that came with 2024.
"This year has been the hardest year," she said. "I've lost a couple of businesses that's been here more than 20 years ... Prices went up, rents went up ... So doing events like this one here is to help make some sustainability for the community."
Mayor Adams touts small business success in NYC
Mayor Eric Adams says small businesses are in high supply citywide, however. He said the city has lifted what he calls outdated fines and penalties that made it costlier to open up shop in the past.
"We have over 183,000 small businesses in the city, the most small businesses in the city's history when you think about that," he said.
Shoppers checking out the marketplace Saturday said they're happy to be supporting their fellow New Yorkers.
"That's really the heart and soul, in my opinion, of the United States, is a small business, and so I would rather support small, local businesses than to go to the large flagship stores," said shopper Kendall Vidal, who was wearing only locally bought clothing.
Bed-Stuy Gateway BID's Winter Wonderland will be set up at Marcy Plaza through Dec. 22. It's open every Thursday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
