Saturday afternoon, last-minute Christmas shoppers could have visited any big-box chain or local boutique for the right gift for their loved ones, but there was one other option available between noon and 8 p.m. just south of Broadway on 13th Street. At The MAMMOTH Holiday Bazaar, held in the chilly confines of The Mammoth, unique gifts awaited those who sought out the interesting from the norm, whether it was a pack of tarot cards, hand-made arts and crafts, jewelry or something hard-to-find.
Formerly held at Nelligan Hall as “A Very Portland X-mas,” the bazaar drew a few veteran vendors from the Flea Off Market – including Sanford and Sud and Rubyruth’s – along with vendors new to selling, as well as those who have participated in other various arts and entertainment events. Mary Levinsky of Block Party Handmade Boutique, whose previous outing at the previous weekend’s Flea Off involved rain, noted a much busier experience due to the last-minute energy prior to Christmas. Shawn Hennessey of Squallis Puppeteers, who also took part in the rainy December Flea Off, witnessed the opposite for his booth, selling more puppets in the wet than under the roof, though he had no complaints as Hennessey enjoyed the social aspects of both affairs more than anything.
Regarding the move from Nelligan Hall to 90,000 sq. ft. art space, co-owner Hallie Jones, stationed at the gift-wrapping space, stated that they had been “doing the holiday sale in Portland at Nelligan Hall for the past few years. It was really small and cramped, so [they] bought this building in March, and wanted to do it here.” Jones added that they had been trying to establish an art space such as The Mammoth for nearly a decade, and aim to have the building fully up to code – in order to obtain a permanent event permit – for more events in the future, including another bazaar next Christmas.
For more information on the art space and upcoming events, visit The Mammoth’s website at www.themammoth.org, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
Photos: Louisville.com/Cameron Miquelon.
