BY BRADLEY HAWKS
Christine Cullinane-Haber has been curating the Sweet Afton Holiday Mini-Market for the past six years.
“I wanted to create a market where local artists and designers could sell their work, free of charge—there’s no vendors fee,” she explains.
“We have a great raffle during the market,” continues Cullinane-Haber, “in which all proceeds go to Concern Worldwide, a charity that is very dear to us at Sweet Afton. All vendors participating in the market donate one item for the raffle. The prizes are fantastic, and it’s for a great cause.”
Brunch is served at Sweet Afton as usual, and the bar will offer happy hour drink specials until 5 p.m. This year’s holiday market is going to be on Sunday, Dec. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. It’s the ideal spot for holiday multitasking. Where else can you shop, meet artists and enjoy a hearty breakfast washed down with a pint?
Sweet Afton is located in Astoria at 30-09 34th St. This year’s vendors will include the following:
Haber’s Tonic – www.haberstonic.com – Artisanal Tonic Syrup for making the best gin and tonic ever.
Repurpose Detroit – www.repurposedetroit313.com – Bottle openers, candles, key chains and more made by artists from Astoria.
Artemisia – https://www.artemisiav.com – Instagram @ArtemisiaV_NYC. -Natural, wilderness-inspired soap and body products that are handcrafted in small batches made in Astoria.
Lindsay Colbus Jewelry – Handcrafted jewelry locally made, as seen in O, The Oprah Magazine.
The Stitch Bitch – Naughty gifts, hand-stitched by the talented Becky Maloney. Framed crochet pieces, bookmarks, towels and more, all made in Astoria.
DM Designs by Diane Mariani – Serving ware, vases, mugs and ornaments made from clay, fired and glazed. Found items and natural objects are used to add patterns and texture into each piece.
I Heart Astoria T-shirts – https://www.facebook.com/IHeartAstoria/ T-shirts, baby onesies, bibs, tote bags and more silkscreened by hand in Astoria.
V & J Musically Inspired – VandJUpcycled.com – Upcycled old music, turning used vinyl, cassettes, etc. into art, handbags, wallets, clocks and more.
The Robot Army – www.therobotarmy.bigcartel.com – Lovable, misanthropic sad cartoon robots for the discerning entertainment hobbyist, all hand-drawn in Astoria.
Jon Testa Lighting – Custom lighting design. All pieces are made in Astoria.
Alice Lipping – www.alicelipping.com – Beautiful ornaments and tiles, made in Astoria.
Mamas Bazaar – www.mamasbazaar.com – One-of-a-kind vintage clothes, along with some handmade clothes, Gypsy style and very colorful.
Widad Franco – www.WidyCat.com – Paper goods—holiday and regular greeting cards, featuring cats and other cute scenes of city life, prints, calendars and children’s books, as well as wooden, hand-painted items. The 2016 calendars are illustrations of houses/buildings around NYC—each month is a different NYC neighborhood.
