Pop up retail is a new concept for me. It’s been hovering right there on my periphery but I wasn’t really sure what it meant. Last night at Black Bear Resort in Port McNeill I experienced my first one. Vendors from Port McNeill, Port Hardy, Port Alice, Sointula and Campbell River all gathered together to showcase their merchandise in an intimate setting. Organic marketing with a Facebook event page and posters around town gathered at least 100 customers together for the one night event.
Disclaimer – Megan is my daughter and the main reason I gave up Netflix and a warm fire on a chilly Thursday night. Megan sews baby & toddler toques made from organic cotton and flannel receiving blankets and burp cloths. Our adorable grandson Bowen was her first model and as he grows so does the selection of toque sizes she offers. The patterns are funky coastal with trees, whales, mountains and mermaids.
Michele was the organizer of the event. Meeting with some of the other vendors at Orca Fest in August they kept in touch on Instagram and came up with idea of the pop up in Port McNeill. The lobby and meeting room at Black Bear Resort were packed with displays and they’re already talking about another one next month.
Yes, I was extremely happy to buy a few Christmas gifts at Sandra’s table. I won’t mention what those items are in case that family member reads this post 😉 I can tell you that Sandra sells jewelry, bath salts, body scrubs, cards & gift tags, different sized heatable bean bags and more.
Neva is one of the founding members of North Island Farmer’s Market and she’s a huge supporter of the burgeoning home business movement. Her foaming lavender hand soap is my absolute favourite and anyone who has tried her salsa raves about it. Definitely got a bit of a kick !! Neva is always experimenting with essential oils for her bath bombs and bath soaks.
Things I learned tonight from Jodie & Kirstin. Their product Hempworx is Hemp Oil that people use topically or internally for all sorts of ailments. It’s basically cannabis without the THC and completely legal. There’s loads of information about the product on the official website or ask Jodie & Kirstin directly about buying or selling the line of oils & sprays.
Those yellow pie shaped sheets in the lower left of the photo sparked a very interesting conversation with Belen. They’re used in place of plastic wrap to store leftover fruit and vegetables. The beeswax in them keeps produce fresher, longer and is so much better for the environment. She also had some warm & cozy looking wool socks for sale as well as some cool looking wooden combs and retro plant hangers.
New to the North Island Gabriel has been living in Sointula for ten months. Her jewelry is all hand crafted and the majority of it are one piece originals. Very passionate about her craft Gabriel shared details about some of the stones, wire & process that go into each piece. Sooooo pretty — it’s amazing I walked away with only one small bag. But I know she’ll be back again soon.
My apologies to Deborah that I missed coming back for a proper chat. But reading the business card I can share with our readers that you sell: all shapes and sizes of beeswax candles – pillars, tea lights and wax melts as well as hand dipped taper candles. Also soy wax candles, soaps and bath products.
Young Living Essential Oils has landed on the North Island in a big way. Facebook pages are popping up with instructional videos and “make & take” parties where you learn a bit about oils and make your own foaming soap, bath bombs or rollers. Incredibly versatile oils can be used to make your own household cleaning products, lotions, soaps and rollers. I call one of mine “nighty night” and it smells wonderful !! Laura’s mother-in-law Lynda Biggs is an incredible artist. I’ve seen her floral arrangements and and canvas paintings but last night she was displaying painted tiles. Vibrant North Island vignettes of scenery and flowers. She’s also looking for students for a limited class in tile painting scheduled for the new year.
Michelle sells Lip Sense. It’s a water proof, smudge proof long lasting lipstick. Seriously you can put it on and rub your lips and there won’t be one tiny bit of residue on your fingers. An amazing array of colours – it’s very popular with busy moms. You can eat, drink and carry on with your day without worrying about reapplying. Megan & Michelle shared their table and were joined by their friend Jaylene. Heartwarming that these three young moms have known each other since elementary school, are married and have children. I’m so proud to be a 3-generation family in Port McNeill.
Stay tuned for the next Pop Up Port McNeill Shopping Night sometime in December. An event page will show up on Facebook. Other vendors have already approached the organizers so get ready to do some Christmas shopping !!
This is Port McNeill 