Prism Market: Flannel, Music & Virgos Comes to Glen Ellyn This Saturday
- John E. Streetz
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
By John E. Streetz
Summer is not quite finished, but fall is definitely getting closer.
That strange little stretch of the calendar between summer and autumn has always been one of my favorite times of the year. You can still get a warm afternoon, but suddenly there are cooler nights, football starts creeping back into conversations, pumpkin everything begins showing up and people start thinking about flannel again.
That was part of the inspiration behind Prism Market: Flannel, Music & Virgos, taking place Saturday, September 5, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Maplewood Public House, 486 Pennsylvania Ave. in Glen Ellyn.
The event is free to attend, family friendly, outdoors and scheduled rain or shine.
And yes, the Virgo part is very intentional.
I am a Virgo myself, so when we started putting together another Prism Market for early September, I was perfectly happy to throw an event that gives my fellow Virgos a little attention.
Whether it is a Virgo selling handmade items, a Virgo shopping for something new, or simply someone enjoying the excuse to celebrate Virgo season, I am completely fine with it.
We have several Virgos participating in this market, including JB Jewelry Design, who will be bringing jewelry featuring sapphires to celebrate Virgo season and some early fall vibes.
Of course, you do not have to be a Virgo to attend.
You do not have to wear flannel either.
But if September decides to cooperate and gives us one of those perfect slightly cooler Saturdays, nobody is going to complain if a few flannel shirts start appearing around the market.
Left to Right: Straight Up Bourbon, Craft Beer and Mixed Drinks make up some of the many drink options at Maplewood Public House, Drink can come in many colors and sizes so the options are almost endless for a sip and shop event at Maplewood Public House, The kitchen will be open and everything from appetizers to sandwiches and entrees will be available for consumption. All three photos provided by Maplewood Public House.
The bigger focus is simply putting together an interesting group of local artists, makers and small businesses and giving people something different to discover.
And this lineup definitely has that.
One of the things I am happiest about with this Prism Market is that roughly 60 percent of the lineup is new to the venue. If you have attended one of our previous markets at Maplewood Public House, this will not simply be the same group shuffled around into different spaces.
You are going to see quite a few new artists and products.
Music is one of the strongest parts of this particular market.
Roczilla Records will be bringing vinyl covering rock, jazz, blues, R&B, alternative rock and music from around the world. There is something satisfying about digging through crates of records and finding an album you forgot existed, something you have been hunting for or something completely unfamiliar that you decide to take home.
Then there is Scrapgrinder Guitars.
Jack describes himself as a renegade luthier, which feels pretty appropriate when you see what he makes.
Instead of following the usual methods of building guitars, he creates unique instruments from repurposed cigar boxes. Each guitar is individually built, and he will also have stompboxes and wall-mounted guitar hangers available.
This is exactly the type of artist I love having in our markets.
It is handmade. It is creative. It is functional. It is something you probably do not run across every Saturday afternoon.
And there is a story behind it.
That spirit carries through much of this lineup.
Ramblin' Rose Designs combines nature and art through handmade jewelry and home décor incorporating gemstones and botanicals. Their collection includes rings, earrings, necklaces, gemstone bracelets and bolo ties, along with suncatchers, botanical artwork, gemstone garden moon lamps, mixed-media pieces and upcycled mirrors.
Libra Rising by Yoali also brings a strong nature-inspired style to the market.
Her jewelry is influenced by travel and the mountains out west, with handcrafted earrings and bracelets made using materials including wood, cork and leather. What began as a passion for creating has grown into a small business that has sold more than 30,000 pieces across all 50 states and 11 countries.
JB Jewelry Design brings yet another very different approach.
Jen creates jewelry using natural gemstones, fossils, pearls and vintage findings, working with mixed metals including sterling silver and 14K gold-fill. Her collection includes earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, anklets and kinetic hangings.
And because this is Virgo season, she will also have plenty of sapphire jewelry available.
That feels pretty appropriate.
Left to Right: JB Jewelry Designs, Designs by Millie and Dye the Day Away
The market goes well beyond jewelry and music.
Barbara Massey of S&K, LLC will be featuring her book, The Adventures of Sam and Keecha, along with artwork connected to the story.
There will also be original art, tie-dye, tarot, handmade décor, sweet treats, planters, portraits and plenty of the wonderfully random things that make artisan markets fun.
One of my favorite parts of organizing these events is seeing someone walking around who clearly did not arrive looking for anything in particular.
Then they stop.
They see something.
They start talking to the artist.
A few minutes later, they are walking away with something they never expected to buy.
That is the whole idea.
These markets are not supposed to feel like walking through rows of identical merchandise. Streetz Artz Alliance markets are curated because I want people to see different styles, different mediums, different personalities and different approaches to creating.
I would much rather have someone walk through the market wondering what is around the next corner than feel like they already know what every table is going to look like.
Supporting local artists also sometimes means supporting causes that matter to them.
Several businesses participating Saturday regularly give back through their work. Special K's BeerCandles donates to Dark Horse Dogs, NFP. Dye The Day Away supports The Trevor Project. Atlas Art Designs supports Scouting America.
That is something worth recognizing.
The current lineup for Prism Market includes Atlas Art Designs, Belonio Doodles, Crow & Moon Enchantments, Design with Millie, Dye The Day Away, JB Jewelry Design, Jetibles Treats, Kookies By Michelle, Libra Rising By Yoali, Lost & Found Planters and Portraits, Melanie Klegerman Fersko - Author and Artist, Ramblin' Rose Designs, Roczilla Records, S&K, LLC, Scrapgrinder Guitars, Special K's BeerCandles and Ten Cups Tarot.
As always, one of the simplest ways to support these artists is just to show up.
Walk around.
Talk to them.
Ask how something was made.
Flip through the records.
Pick up the cigar box guitar.
Find a piece of jewelry that looks like it was made for you.
Get a tarot reading.
Grab something sweet.
Have a craft beer or your favorite beverage from Maplewood Public House and spend a couple of hours enjoying Glen Ellyn.
You do not have to buy something from every artist to support local art. Showing interest, sharing their work, following their pages and telling somebody else about an artist you discovered can matter too.
And if you do find something you love, even better.
Prism Market has always been intended to be a little flexible. The name itself gives us room to experiment with themes, artists and ideas instead of forcing every event into the same box.
Flannel, Music & Virgos might sound like a strange combination at first.
That is kind of the point.
We have vinyl.
We have handmade guitars.
We have artists inspired by nature.
We have original artwork.
We have authors.
We have tarot.
We have sweets.
We have quite a few new faces.
We have some Virgos.
And if Mother Nature cooperates, maybe we will have some flannel too.
Summer is not quite finished.
Fall is getting closer.
And this Saturday seems like a pretty good time to celebrate both.
Prism Market: Flannel, Music & Virgos takes place Saturday, September 5, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Maplewood Public House, 486 Pennsylvania Ave., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.
Admission is free. The event is family friendly, outdoors and scheduled rain or shine.
Come sip, shop, discover something different and spend Saturday with us in Glen Ellyn.
And from one Virgo to all the others out there, this one is partly for us.
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