Merry Makers market returns to Sea Cliff

Residents of Sea Cliff can once again gather to support local business this holiday season at The Sea Cliff Arts Council’s Merry Makers Holiday Market. The event will take place at the St. Lukes parish community hall and will feature local vendors from across Long Island.

The Holiday Market aims to promote local vendors from across the Island and encourage residents to shop locally for the holidays. Now in its third year, the market is organized by Noelle Fiallo-Evans, Chief Creative Officer for the Arts Council, who stated that there will be plenty for the whole family to enjoy.

“It is a marketplace, and all of the vendors that we have are local, and just about everything is also handmade,” Noelle Fiallo-Evans said. “In conjunction to that we will have live music throughout the event performed by local artists and crafts to keep the kids entertained while their parents shop.”

The event will feature many different vendors including fine artists, glass blowers, woodworkers, jewelry makers and bakers. Fiallo-Evans says that vendors love this event and have been keeping in touch throughout the year to make sure that they are able to attend this event.

“We actually had a waiting list this year for vendors, I had people start to reach out to me over the summer to make sure they had a spot in the event,” Fiallo-Evans said. “I got an email from one of our old vendors saying that it was her favorite market of the season.”

The event has faced weather challenges in the past, with both rain and a blizzard occurring during the market over the last two years. Fiallo-Evans highlighted these challenges and talked about how having the event indoors has given the event a great energy.

“We’ve been challenged over the past two years with weather, I believe the first year we did it we had a blizzard and then last year we had a lot of rain,” Fiallo-Evans said. “I think that the live music inside really fills the space, and there is such an upbeat energy, and everyone is in a good mood instead of going to the mall and fighting for parking.”

Fiallo-Evans also talked about how important she feels the event is to the community. She talked about the support system that this event provides to all of the local artists and vendors that come and nice it is to have the whole community together for the holidays.

“But it’s really great to gather together to support each other, whether we’re going there to support the musicians that are playing or the vendors who are making their products and making a living,” Fiallo-Evans said. “It’s all for a positive reason to give and to receive. So what better way to spend some time together.”

The Merry Makers Holiday Market will take place on Dec. 7, from 1-5 p.m. at the St. Lukes Parish Community Hall.