National Landing Holiday Market Offers Seasonal + Sustainable Shopping

The first iteration of the National Landing Holiday Market will take place on Friday, December 17 from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, December 18 from 12 to 5 p.m. The market will be arranged and developed by David Ross and his production company, DCBB Productions and the local restaurant Bun’d Up. 

This market builds on the past National Landing market that Ross hosted in May of 2021. The holiday market will feature a variety of eye-grabbing creative commodities — vintage clothing, art, jewelry, collectibles, crafts and food, and even quilt coats — all specially curated and collected for the holiday season.

DCBB Productions has been tasked with curating the flea market vendors and Bun’d Up is in charge of curating the food vendors. A spread of live music performances are slated for the two-day market, from the likes of DJ Pedro Night, Ladygod, Jerel Crockett and more. 

I spoke with two of the vendors from the upcoming market: Aisha Keys from Craze Chameleon Studio and Lilly Wilder from relume. 

Both of the vendors are excited for the holiday season generally, as well as the opportunity to share and sell their works with the local community during such a wonderful, joyful time of year.

“For many small businesses, holiday sales make up a large part of our income which can be stressful, exciting and motivating all at once,” Wilder says. 

I asked them about how this market and their businesses work to promote and execute sustainable practices during a time of concurrent holly-jolly fun and widespread consumer craze. 

“Craze Chameleon Studio brings quality vintage and designer sustainable gems, not fast fashion, making items ideal for gift giving to your eccentric tribe,”Keys says. “Each garment is original and made to last — we’re helping the environment and reducing waste by using what’s already made and available.”

Lilly had a similar holiday-schema to share.

“Inevitably, the holiday season tends to run counter to the ideals of sustainability because we’re surrounded by the pressure to buy, buy, buy,” says Wilder. “When I founded my business Relume – short for ‘re-illuminate’ –  I wanted to create products that are unique and add value to people’s lives while also being eco-friendly.”

“I’m proud of the impact we’ve made, not just on people who have purchased our products but also on those who are inspired by what we’re doing,” Wilder continues. “[We want people to] begin to think more creatively about how they can re-illuminate old objects in their own lives.” 

So for a sustainable, stress-free holiday shopping experience backdropped by live music and tantalizing bites, look no further than this weekend’s National Landing Holiday Market — where reilluminated pieces for your eccentric tribe await.

National Landing Holiday Market: 2121 Crystal Dr. Arlington, VA; nationallanding.org // @nationallanding + @nationallandingmarket

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