San Jose vendors host holiday pop-up in South Bay
Just in time for Small Business Saturday, many local vendors in San Jose are hosting a nine-day pop-up event in the Willow Glen neighborhood.
"This is the honey from Happy Hollow Zoo. The money goes to help protect the gorillas in the Congo," Willow Glen Honey beekeeper Steve Demkowski told CBS News Bay Area.
He is sharing the wonders of his local honey at the holiday pop-up beginning Friday.
"It's all local, unfiltered and raw," Demkowski said.
Demkowski, his wife Carole and their daughter-in-law are selling their goods along with several other local vendors at an empty building space on Lincoln Avenue. The site was once a Petco building in Willow Glen.
"If we want to survive -- which I do, I'm not retired -- we have to figure out a new way to reinvent the wheel. And that's in doing a pop-up," said Carole Demkowski, who owns the South Bay boutique Three Sisters.
She had a storefront for her vintage antique business for about 16 years. But she was forced to close those doors in July when her rent skyrocketed. Now she's keeping her business alive on-the-go, renting temporary spaces for about two weeks at a time.
"Sell our goods, instead of having to pay you know a five-year lease, which is getting pretty tough," Steve Demkowski said.
On the first day of the pop-up, many local residents swung by to do some holiday shopping.
"We love living in this little town and just having all the local businesses. It's nice to like come down and walk the streets and see them," said San Jose resident Amy Gallagher.
But it's not just about shopping. For some neighbors, it's a trip down memory lane.
"They just bring out you know heartwarming memories," said Sunnyvale resident Valorie Rico.
"This brings back a lot of childhood memories. I saw a jar of marbles which reminded me of my brothers when they used to play marbles as a child," she added.
And a few steps away, Joslyn West is another local vendor sharing her art.
"I do upcycling. I find beautiful fabrics that are undervalued, and I upcycle and make them wearable art," said West, who runs Joslyn West Design. "We support each other, it's fun and we all get it, we all do upcycling in our own way and it's a community."
And for Carole, the pop-up shows don't stop there.
"Come January, we'll do another pop-up probably in the first quarter. So I'll be out looking for an empty building that I can rent," she said.
The Holiday Pop-up runs through December 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Office of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan sent CBS News Bay Area this statement:
"San José is one of the most diverse places in the world, and that diversity is reflected across our 60,000 small businesses. From Calle Willow to Japantown, and Little Saigon to Downtown, residents can support their neighbors while finding the perfect gifts this holiday season."
