It's a beautiful day in Downtown Concord and the very last day of 2016.  It's been a busy and tumultuous year!  We have made so many new friends in both people who visit the shop and new artisans who display their craft.  We have grown to represent over 200 different craftspeople- some emerging and selling their work for the first time and some more established companies like Badger in Gilsum NH and Tree Free Greetings in Swanzey.   Suffice it to say,  we have only scratched the surface of all the talent in New Hampshire and New England.  We already have appointments to meet new artists on the calendar.

Winning the business competition, Innovations for Entrepreneurs sponsored by Comcast Business was a highlight of our fist year in business and we have all of you to thank for supporting us in the voting process.  Meeting the business experts was inspiring and laid the groundwork for many exciting plans in 2017.  Look for a improved ecommerce website (marketplacenewengland.com) and lots of videos with our makers.

So - let me sum it up by saying thank you for all of your interest and support during 2016 as we brought NH made gifts and New England handcrafted items to you.  We are looking forward to 2017 and all of the adventures that lay ahead!
Happy New Year!

Halloween Howl and Marketplace NE's 1 Year Anniversary!

North Main Street's Halloween Howl and our 1 Year Anniversary

At last years Halloween Howl on October 30, 2015 we opened our doors to the public and began business operations. It has been a fun and fantastic first year for Marketplace New England and we will be celebrating at tomorrows Halloween Howl. Come down and trick or treat at the shops, participate in the costume parade, enjoy the dance party in front of City Plaza, and join the touch a truck event where kids can play and touch a real fire truck! North Main Street should be filled with plenty of chilling and mysterious costumes.

Don't forget to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages as well!

This Week at the Marketplace

Welcome to the first edition of This Week at the Marketplace

Handcrafted by: Gifts of Glass
Grafton, NH

We have entered the spooky month of October and Halloween is just a few short weeks in front of us. Come check out our Halloween Mini Bottle Lights which were handcrafted by Gifts of Glass located in Grafton, NH. Can't make it to the shop? We offer these cool lights and many more products on our online website as well. Designs may vary, so if you are purchasing on our website please be sure to call or email us for questions!

We are looking at what could possibly be our last week of nice weather so come down to North Main Street and grab a bite to eat and explore some of the shops.

On 9/22 we hosted our first ever TLC Thursday Event to celebrate International Peace Day and Welcoming Initiative and it was a blast. Our next TLC Thursday event will be next Thursday 10/13 and we are teaming up with The Crisis Center of Central NH. The Crisis Center of Central NH supports those affected by domestic and sexual violence. Please come down and enjoy some flavorsome wines, delectable samples, meet some of our local artists and support a great cause. You will not want to miss out! 

A portion of the nights proceeds will go directly to the non-profit. If you can't make it in and still want to participate, online sales count as well.

We will be running TLC Thursday's straight into the holiday season. For the full list of non-profits and the specific dates please click here. 

Our kick off TLC Thursday is 9/22 to celebrate International Peace Day and Welcoming Concord.  Please join us for a little wine, some yummy samples, meet some of our artists and learn about a great cause.  The Welcoming Concord Initiative is part of Welcoming NH - building stronger communities for New Americans and for all.

In addition to raising awareness in the community - a portion of the proceeds of any sales during the event will benefit the cause. ( On-line sales count too!)

The next event will be 10/13 to benefit the Crisis Center of Central NH

Please download and share the flyer for all of the events scheduled through 12/8.

Hope you can join us- everybody needs a little TLC!

As we get ready to flip the calendar page to September, have you noticed the nights are getting a little cooler? These cooler nights are perfect for a backyard campfire.Why not add a little color to your Labor Day weekend festivities with Eggies Color Flame Fire Starters. 
  
"Eggies Color Flames are the original egg-create fire starters, made of 100% recycled materiels, even our packaging, so there is no waste!  Our Eco-friendly materiels are better for the environment and a smart alternative to glue based kindling blocks, petroleum starters, lighter fluids or ethanol based gels."

What  does local mean to you?

It was recently pointed out to me that my website shouldn't focus on being local because local is irrelevant on the Internet.  But I can't really help myself because I am so incredibly proud of my community.

 New England is an amazing place to live.  Weather you love the beach,  or the mountains, or just walking in your neighborhood, you can find beauty.  You don't have to ski or hike- just knowing that you could if you wanted to is sometimes enough to get us through our busy lives.  We live in a place where most people want to come on vacation!

How could we not be proud of that?  

I am particularly proud of the artisans that we work with every day.  They create something from raw ingredients to share with the world.  Those ingredients might be maple syrup and butter, or reclaimed wood and steel~ it is all art.

If you are lucky enough to live in New England- support your local maker economy.  If not, please share ours, and know that you are supporting emerging artists and small companies,
 until you can visit in person some day!