Giving hope is the sweeping purpose behind the existence of the Women’s Summer Fair and Flea Market on the Downtown Eastside.
For market coordinator Racquel Belmonte, it’s a hope borne out of caring for the women involved and giving those who struggle a way to earn money by showcasing their talents — whether it’s creating art, designing jewelry, making homemade jam or having an eye for picking out vintage clothing pieces.
“What I wanted to do with the market when I got the job was work with these artists,” said Belmonte who started working as coordinator this year, through the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. “There’s so many artists who are so talented and create beautiful things and they don’t often get an opportunity to showcase that.”
The Saturday market features women vendors and artisans and employs the community’s women to overlook everything from security to sanitation, to concession to peer coordinators — all roles that provide skills that serve as a leg up in entering the job market.
“My biggest passion within the organization is helping women get those skills back and get back out there so they can show the world, ‘Hey, I got this talent and I want you to see it,’” said Belmonte. “It’s exciting for me to see, so exciting, because we’re helping them do that. They empower each other, they run the show, they help each other out, they’re all friends.”
The Women’s Summer Fair and Flea Market is in its second year and runs every Saturday until Sept. 29 on the 200 block of Columbia Street in partnership with the City of Vancouver. There are about 25 tables of artists and vendors every week, along with musical and dance entertainment and a kids play area.
The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, which is behind the market’s creation, is connected to many of these women as it operates a low-barrier drop-in centre and emergency shelter that supports up to 500 women on a daily basis.
“Our vendors are so thankful and so excited about the market. It’s such a beautiful thing to see,” said Belmonte. “This was created in response to the fact women in the Downtown Eastside community were being mistreated within other street markets. A lot of these women feel unsafe, are treated poorly and fall to many injustices, so it’s nice to be able to provide them a safe place because they need to earn a living, also.”
The women’s market is also bigger than just one day a week; Belmonte plans to include art workshops that teach card-making and pottery and other opportunities to help further skills to, as she puts it, “keep the conversation going.”
Amanda Star was one of the vendors at a recent Saturday market. She sold a variety of jewelry that included delicate drop earrings and knitted bracelets. Star said her goal is to build up her skills so she can start selling on Etsy, the giant peer-to-peer website specializing in handmade items.
“I love art and I love any kind of crafts. Eventually, I made so many that I guess I can show them to everybody else,” said Star. “This market is a great opportunity. It’s amazing. It’s empowering. It lifts up my confidence and spirit — it’s my favourite market to go to.”
Belmonte hopes others outside the DTES will see past its rough reputation to find beauty.
“There’s a stigma about the Downtown Eastside and I feel like a lot of people… dehumanize it. They don’t give it a chance. The Downtown Eastside has one of the strongest senses of community I’ve experienced and I don’t think a lot of people understand the love and support that’s within it,” she said. “My goal is to show people what is here. These women are working so bloody hard for it.”
The market runs Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
rvblissett@gmail.com
@rebeccablissett
