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Holiday Pop-Up Shops return in a new outdoor format
Published Tuesday, November 24, 2020
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While the Holiday Pop-Ups’ geodesic domes have been a staple of the holiday season in Midtown since 2013, they will not be making an appearance in 2020 due to safety precautions. Instead, organizers have pivoted to an outdoor holiday market to offer customers a safe place to shop local.
“We wanted to provide guests with a safe option to continue their tradition of shopping local with us, so we decided to completely change the format of the event and take the festivities outdoors” said Cléo Rajon, Executive Director of the Independent Shopkeepers Association. “It will look very different from previous years but we’re looking forward to creating new memories for our guests and showing our local shops the support they need in a safe environment.”
Safety procedures will be put in place to ensure the event can happen in the safest manner possible for both attendees and shopkeepers. Face coverings will be required at all times for all staff and customers and must be worn over nose and mouth. A limited quantity of free masks will be available if needed. Guests are asked to use hand sanitizer throughout the event and socially distance from others.
The new outdoor format will allow customers to support local businesses who have been hit the hardest this year. All shops setting up at the event are independent businesses from cities around Oklahoma. By bringing a variety of local shops to one place, the event provides an opportunity for customers to consciously shop local in an outdoor setting. With every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 will stay in the community compared to $43 of every $100 spent at a national chain store.
"We're so excited to bring the tiny soap truck to the Holiday Pop-Ups this year," said Megan Rinehart, owner of Local Lather. "I'm really proud of how the coordinators, sponsors and vendors are contributing to making this event both successful and safe for everyone. Just like most things in 2020, it will look different but still be fun, festive and full of some of our favorite local shops."
The Holiday Pop-Up Shops is an annual holiday shopping event put on by the Independent Shopkeepers Association and focused on supporting local independent retailers. Opening on Small Business Saturday, the event will host between 12 to 14 local shops in outdoor tents each weekend, offering a variety of gifts from clothing and accessories to home goods and children’s toys. Local shops will be joined by Katiebug’s Hot Chocolate, the Big Friendly, the Curbside Chronicle wrapping paper booth as well as the Bishop John Carroll School tree lot.
The outdoor market, located at 399 NW 10th St. in Midtown, will be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m .to 5 p.m. starting Nov. 28. The event is made possible thanks to the generosity of sponsors who support the local shop community. This year’s event is sponsored by SSM Health St. Anthony, Midtown OKC, the Downtown OKC Partnership, MidFirst Bank, Heartland and Automobile Alley.
About the Holiday Pop-Up Shops:
The Holiday Pop-Up Shops was created in 2013 to promote shopping local and encourage visitors to purchase holiday gifts from local shops. The event has since grown to be a staple of the holiday season in Midtown OKC. The Holiday Pop-Ups is a fundraiser for the Independent Shopkeepers Association.
