LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Makers' Market held at Theatre Square


Makers' Market, Theatre Square, Friday May 3. Photos Sora O'Doherty

Taylor Marlatte of Bay Area Makers Markets joined forces with Orinda's Theatre Square, facilitated by Orinda planner Darin Hughes, to host a Makers' Market on the evening of Friday, May 3. Although Marlatte has put together larger groups of vendors in some locations, she kept Theatre Square numbers low, with under two dozen vendors offering their products. The weather was fine, and, as Marlatte pointed out, Theatre Square restaurants were doing a brisk trade, so there was a sufficient audience browsing the market, perhaps thinking of Mothers' Day, coming up on May 12.

The City of Orinda participated, with a table promoting the upcoming June 1 Wildfire Prevention and Safety Fair, staffed by James Duff, the city's education and outreach coordinator, and David Biggs, City Manager. Other vendors included Lakenda Wallace, purveyor of natural vegan perfumes for the body, home and spirit, and Mood and Mind, featuring hand drawn designs by Kayla. Navya Dandu of Golden Gate Clothing Co. offered colorful apparel and accessories made by women in Bangladesh.

Rechic, where Marlatte held her first makers' market in Orinda, had a table, as did Orinda floral shop Garden Nest and Fastened, Permanent Jewelry. Also present was EM/Powered by WMN, a Bay Area group devoted to highlighting women entrepreneurs.

Marlatte began organizing outdoor events for small businesses in 2021. After Covid, outdoor venues appealed to folks who wanted to get out of the house but preferred fresh air. She currently has up to 150 different vendors upon whom she can call for events and hopes to have several additional markets in Orinda before the end of the year.