We here at the MHBA are very fond of the Handmade Homemade Market. Did you know that half of our staff have been vendors there? In fact, here's a photo of myself, Dawn, the Digital Communications Maven, selling kombucha. My partner and I are happily brewing the fizzy probiotic-rich concoction in our home kitchen. Attending the market has become such a tradition that we now have adopted the pseudonym "The Kombucha Ninjas."
(In the image from left to right: My partner, myself, and a fellow who traded us a piece deer antler perfectly sized to fit my partner's ear plus a $1 donation for a bottle of our brew.)
Besides listening to great music and meeting amazing people, the Kombucha Ninjas find the market to be a quite lucrative experience. We are darn good at making kombucha, and in exchange, we get to meet our needs through direct exchange with our community!
On an average night, we bring 50 bottles and get: dinner, drinks, and desert for the both of us; about $20 (or more depending upon our interest in bartering); a jar of kimchi; a jar of sauerkraut; some goat cheese; at least two gluten free cupcakes; a sack of tea; some fruit; and much, much more! Other items that we've bartered for in the past include but are certainly not limited to: embroidered felt owl coasters, a screenprinted t-shirt, a llama stuffed animal, art, greeting cards, fruit, chai concentrate, cherry truffles, muffins, a glass of horchata, herbs, uber-local gluten-free baking mix, spicy pickles, and even a sock puppet!
Even if you're not vending and bartering isn't an option, all vendors accept monetary donations. So when First Friday rolls around come October 1st, consider exploring outside the Santa Fe Arts District and head on down to RiNo for an equally creative and unique experience.
