blog

May 20 2022

May Event…be with you!

Always amazing additions to the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar!

I walked into the mall about 10:30am on Saturday, May 14th, with not much activity happening. Stores beginning to open, restaurants getting their prep done. I see some vendors bringing in their tables and their products. We walk the whole stretch of the mall and get to Court B, the section in front of Cineport 10 and the shoe store.

My heart sinks as I only see two vendors in that section, when it used to host up to 14 vendors at one point. I need coffee at this point.

As we make our way back to the other end of the mall for our coffee, of course, it becomes livelier. Luis, the entertainment manager, is beginning setup on the stage in front of the food court.

Luis hard at work, making sure the sound is immaculate.

Mall traffic begins to flow. More and more people. We take a seat at the food court and observe how amazingly busy the mall becomes. A musician by the name of ‘A Nervous Wreck’ gets on stage. The music begins. People are hanging out and listening. We’re vibin’!

I get caught up in the music and I remember…”THE FOOD TRUCKS!”

I walk outside and I’m expecting 2 food trucks, however, I only see one. Sad face. It’s ok. I check with Renoo’s Tuk Truck to see if they’re ready; everything is in ship shape!

We head back inside and begin to see more and more vendors completely setup. I’m absolutely loving what I seeing:

It’s always a pleasure to speak to all the vendors at the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar. Observing their craft and seeing their dedication to the art is absolutely stunning.

Conversations

So as I spoke to everyone at the mall, both tenants and vendors, everyone really enjoys themselves at this event. What’s not to like? Great vibes, lots of art, live music and best of all, indoors in the cool!

Tenants and vendors are interested in participating more times a month! Some said every weekend, others said twice a month. That would be absolutely amazing but my only concern is the well being of the vendors. The last thing I would want for our vendors is burnout. Setting up and selling our arts and crafts is beautiful and amazing but can be overwhelming for some. So I’m thinking of a plan.

The Plan?

I’ll be sending out a survey soon about the event to get your feedback. Why? this event is for you. All about you. The mall has been there for years, but now, it’s time for you to shine. Just loosely, the plan would be to make events twice a month starting in October, and December having it every weekend. Don’t quote me, just a thought.

what do you think?

Hope to see you at the next event! Spots opening very soon!

-Louie and Eunice Gamon – Smile Hard Media

May 20 2022

Congrats to the graduates!!

Tis the season of graduation! There’s moments of pride, excitement and nostalgia for many….and relief to those graduating.

One of those graduates is none other but my boy Daniel! Go class of ’22! This young go getter loves to skate and just so happened that one of our vendors painted a board!

Thanks to Enchanted Designs for the amazing board!!

Special shout out to Evelyn Padilla for the amazing artwork! Enchanted Designs is a regular at the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar, so make sure you swing by to check them out!!

Shoutout to the random Dorito guy for supporting us in his own way. And yes, Doritos from Mexico are superior.

Some amazing merch from Kids Can of Dona Ana!

June 16 2022

It was a hot one! June 2022

Some amazing merch from Kids Can of Dona Ana!

Hot temps, great times

Nothing feels better than the “whooshing” feel of cool air when you open the mall doors. Even in the morning, the temperature was already hitting the low 90’s. The energy starts revving up inside the mall, with all the local restaurants beginning their prep, vendors strolling in with all of their equipment, stores unlocking their gates.

The Good Stuff

As always, there’s a great vibe at the Mesilla Valley Mall while the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar is happening. The various artists and crafters really show what Las Cruces is made of. Seeing all of the varieties of art and craft is always exciting, as no two events are the same.

With all of the variety of vendors at the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar, there’s vendors that sell a different kind of craft; self care and homeopathic craft. This vendor was selling aromas and scents that would make you feel and smell great, all available for purchase.

The stage being set right at the intersection of the food court, we get to experience amazing musical talents from local musicians. This time around we had Zed Rin, A Nervous Wreck, Truman Music Show and Circleverse.

This time around, the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar held a coin hunt! Hidden all throughout the mall, the lucky finder of 5 coins would win a prize! Prizes consisted of $10 gift certificates to local coffee shops and eateries.

Join us next time at the Mesilla Valley Mall, on July 9-10. We’ll be sharing space with the Las Cruces Writers, Kids Can of Las Cruces and many other vendors!! Want to be part of the event? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and spot releases!

August 17 2022

August Event 2022

Already a year?

It’s hard to believe that this event has gone on for a whole year. It’s been challenging yet extremely rewarding.

We are going to be honest, the beginning was terrifying.

So many questions:
“Will anyone sign up? Will vendors sell? What’s the traffic like here? Will the mall allow us to continue?

The one person that settled all our doubts and worries is Loretta Pena, the mall manager. Thanks to Loretta, this event has had the support since day one.

The first event only had 7 vendors. It was super exciting for us, and some of the vendors had a great experience! From there it grew. The next we had 12, then 20, a year later, we nearly hit the 40 vendor mark!

FUN FACT

The event wasn’t called Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar originally. The first name that was made for this event was, “My Art at the Mall”. Yikes. Thankfully, the vendors inspired us to change the name.

The event is for all ages

Fast forward a year, Aug 13 and 14 of 2022. The event has amazing vibes, vendors are spread throughout the whole mall. For the past 4 events, the amazing group at Kid’s Can of Dona Ana have been joining us adding that extra special magic to the mall.

Arts, Crafts, Creations…and Bugs!

Every event we have a new vendor, a new type of craft, a new type of art so there is no two events alike. This last event we had a vendor that sold pinned insects!

Are you an Artist, Crafter and/or Creator? Sign up for the next one!

This is a community event in which we all get together to meet each other, sell our arts/crafts, make new friends, support each other’s business and expose our talent to the rest of the community. Competition is not the purpose of these events; only love and support for each other.

Some tips to keep in mind:
-Vendor must provide everything; chairs, tables, covers, signage, etc
-Setup is at 11am on both days
-Tables are ok to leave overnight, if you’re ok with that
-no signage over 6ft tall
-Most spaces are 8ft wide x 6ft deep, please respect your neighboring vendors. Some spaces are wider that others, however, please keep your booth as close to 8ft as possible.
-All home bakers must follow the New Mexico Cottage Law.
-No 3rd party vending (essential oils, avon, herbalife, etc) unless your craft includes it, e.g. oil diffusers. Only sponsored vendors will be permitted to sell their products.
-Be mindful of your neighbor vendor, if they are solo, watch their booth if they walk away
-If you want to buy food and drinks, support the local restaurants in the Food Court; they’re all local.

CANCELLATIONS: Full refunds will only be given 3 days before the event. No refund after that. If you can only attend one day, please notify before hand and the fee drops to $20.

Are you a non-profit? Feel free to join us at no cost! Our community only benefits with all the amazing services you have to offer.

See you soon! Louie and Eunice, ACC Bazaar Coordinators

September 12 2022

“Can we have a hint?”

"Can we have a hint?" September Event at Mesilla Valley Mall

An Amazing Event

We the amazing Mesilla Valley Iris Group and The Las Cruces First church at the Mesilla Valley Mall this last weekend. So much to do!

Also amazing performances from Zed Rin, Local Bodega and Larry Ocean, bringing amazing music and beats to the mall. It was great to see all of our patrons
purchasing food, having lunch and bobbin’ heads and tapping feet to the rhythms of our local musicians.

Amazing variety

Having a great attendance of vendors for the bazaar, there was everything from handcrafted leather purses, to beautifully made cement rock pots, hand drawn artwork, stunning paintings and absolutely gorgeous jewelry.
We had the honor of seeing all of our friends here at the mall, something that hasn’t been experienced in a while. It’s a good feeling to be social at a place where many thought to be dead. It’s far from it. So many families, friends, couples casually walking the mall and enjoying the stores at the mall, it would be a great loss to close an establishment such as the Mesilla Valley Mall.

The Day of Tokens

We feel that one of the greatest things that happened were the phone calls that we received after the event. This is how it went down:

7:30 pm: Sitting down on the recliner, getting comfy to watch the new Thor movie on Disney plus. Phone rings, on the other line sounds like a 12-13 year old.
“Hi, are you guys done?”
me: ” Excuse me? done with what?”
teen: ” With the hidden tokens…”
me: “Oh! well, the event ended at 6pm today…did you find the 5 tokens?”
teen: “Um, well…we only found 3. What are the prizes? or is that a surprise?”
me: well, they kind of are. Find the last 2 tokens and I’ll tell you what the are.”
Teen: “Ok, thank you!” -Quickly hangs up.

7:45 pm: Taking shoes off and propping up my feet. Phone rings again.
“Hi, it’s me again, can we have any hints?”
At this moment we thought the tenacity and ambition of this young person was absolutely adorable.
Me: “Hint of the prizes? or the tokens?
Teen: “Tokens ( I hear other teens in the background, “ask him where we can find at least one!” ) “Could you tell us where we could find just one?”
Me: ” Well, to be honest with you, my son hid the coins, so even I don’t know where they are!” and it was true. My son hid them, so I had no clue. I asked my
son for a clue, told me and I relayed the message. “Yeah, you can find some near Barnes and Noble”.
Teen: “Oh cool! ok thank you!” Abruptly hangs up.

7:55 pm: Partly into the movie, getting some snacks ready. Phone rings.
“Hey we found them! where are you?”
Me: “Well, I’m at home now, but I’ll be at the event tomorrow…”
Teen: “oh….ok. well, we’ll be back next weekend then. Can we meet then?”
My wife tells me, ” Let’s go meet them now, they made an effort, we should too.”
“Okay”, I reply putting my shoes on. On the phone, “Hey, since you found 5 tokens we’ll meet you in front of the food court in 5 min.”
Teen: “Oh my God, really!? (turns from the phone and tells other teens: “Hey, he’s coming to meet us!” “YES!” “DUDE THAT’S SO COOL!”) ok, are you sure?
we don’t want to bother…”
Me: “Not at all, see you in a bit.”

At the Mall calling the teen: ” hey I’m here, I’m outside my vehicle…see me waving?”
Teens find me and come running. They had made a group effort to find the 5 tokens. The excitement on their faces were priceless.
“So what do we get?” The teens asked, “We really don’t care what we get, it was fun finding them!”
I reply, ” Well you get to choose, a t-shirt, a gift certificate for tacos, a gift certificate for coffee, a gift certificate for a cheescake or a bag of chicharrones.” We had just acquired
a chicharron business and sold during the event.
Conversation amongst them: ” The shirt is cool, but we can’t share it…Oooh how about the cheesecakes? we’ll split it in 5! NO! the tacos! I love tacos!
How about the chicharrones? I think those are easiest to share! yeah? ok, chicharrones it is.” Looking back at me, ” thank you sir, we’ll take the chicharrones.”

“Ok, sounds good. Tell you what, I admire your ambition, each of you take a bag.” Their faces lit up like they had just received news that they’re going to Disneyland.
“Oh my God, are you serious?” One of the kids started hopping in excitement.” BEST NIGHT EVER!”

Our hearts were full that night.

November 30 2022

Christmas already?

Nobody panic. Where did the time go?

Amazing Jewelry from Arte de Ybarvo

Last thing we remember is getting ready for the event for the summer! school’s out, ready for vacation feeling the summer heat.

And now we hear Mariah Carey’s ” All I want for Christmas is You” in every. single. store.

That’s ok. What’s not ok is how fast time is passing by. Thanksgiving has come and gone, which by the way, we are super grateful for all of you. The artistic community, the sponsoring businesses, not to say the amazing staff and administration of the Mesilla Valley Mall.

So, when’s the event?

We have decided that we are doing 2 events in December, the 10-11 and the 17-18. That’s a total of 24 hours of exposure for the month!! We are super excited to have a back to back, which will give all of you amazing vendors the exposure you deserve. Let’s show Las Cruces what we’re made of!

How’s the 2 events gonna work?

So we’ve made two separate sections to purchase your spot. One for 10-11 and another for 17-18. You may have to go back and forth getting your spot, but at the end of the day, it’ll be easier to keep track of our events. On the website, you’ll see the two buttons, dedicated to each date.

You all know that you can reach out to us if you have any issues.

Differences for the events

So the event happening the 10-11th, The Las Cruces Writers Club will be joining us and taking over the area in front of Barnes and Noble (Does anyone know if Starbucks is back up?). The numbers in that area will not be available for purchase on the website, BUUUUUUT, that area is available on Sunday as the Writers Club will attend only on Saturday.

Kids Can of Dona Ana will be joining us as well, taking the area in front of Sears.

More things are developing, so make sure you check our pages!

-Louie and Eunice

December 11 2022

Remember Remember…2 in December

It’s unbelievable that yet another year has passed us. The Holidays are amongst us and honestly, most of us still need to get gifts.This last event was absolutely marvelous, seeing all of the amazing talent of our Las Cruces. The best part, this is only one of two events in the month of December.

The mall gets more and more traffic as the days progress, so we are super excited for the event on the 17 and 18th.

Las Manzanas

So we get a text message from a number we didn’t recognize, but decided answer it.
“Hola, buenos dias, soy la de las manazanas” meaning, “Hello, good morning, I sell the apples”

We had forgotten that we gave one of our cards to the individuals that sell candy apples on the corner of Main and Madrid. Honestly, we weren’t expecting
for them to reach out, as we hand out cards to every street vendor we come across. Most don’t reach out or show up to sell, even given the option to setup for free,
just to try out.

Special Thanks

Speaking of free setup, we would like to take a moment to thank all of our sponsors. Because of all their support, we are able to offer free setup for individuals that
either can’t afford it or want to try it before committing. Also, their contribution helps out the amazing music we have on Saturday.

Special thanks to:
Wanda Ray – Vendor, artist
Juan Luna – NM Solar Group
Crystal Chavez – Paparazzi Jewelry
Martha Chavez – Scentsy
Sarahi Hernandez – Hernandez Jewelry

Very special thanks to Luis Lazcano, that handles and provides the sound for Saturday afternoon. Gracias carnal.

Next Event

We also would like to thank all of the participating vendors for the bazaar…your participation is what brings the magic. We still have one more weekend to go, and it’s going to be packed! There was good traffic this weekend, however, next weekend is the last weekend before Christmas. So a couple of suggestions:

gift boxes: offer your product in a ready-to-give package; your customer will thank you!
gift bags: simple paper bag with tissue stuffing goes a long way.
extra literature: it’s going to be something else to create, but including info of your business in a gift exposes your business.
Lights: The sun goes down sooner, and parts of the mall gets dark. Bring battery powered lights to boost your booth.
signage: make yourself visible; although you may be selling the same product as another vendor down the hall, attractive signage can make the difference.
Treats: feel free to bring simple candy to give out to kids (and to me, lol, jk) remember, what attracts kids will improve your sales.

Future Plans – Vendor Directory

The ACC Bazaar is an amazing opportunity to show talent and sell your products, however, it’s main focus is community. Community creativity has been our focus, as
many other places the main focus is selling (which is not a bad thing, we all have bills) but here at ACC Bazaar, we want to build community. Eunice and I have been
pondering on creating a vendor directory on the ACC Bazaar page for a while, and now we see more and more need for it. Aside from vendors having an online presence,
it also provides your customers a reference for products they may have purchased, and forgotten who was selling it.
We created a form for your convenience! Fill it out and include pictures you’d like to see on your section. We’ve also allowed a section to describe yourself and
your business, feel free to include or exclude any info you’d like to show.

Here’s the form: https://forms.gle/mZ2V7immkdg4TEtK7

Onto the last Bazaar of the year! See you all this coming weekend!

Eunice and Louie Gamon

December 18 2022

Yet another amazing event…with a scary start

Yet another amazing event... ...with a scary start

Saturday, December 17 at 11:25pm a mother with a child comes to our booth completely panic stricken and scared.

“It’s so terrible! I can’t find my daughter! I lost her!” she cried. “I don’t know where she went!”

A child is lost.

My wife and I just looked at each other in horror and proceeded to act. I called the mall manager to contact the security, while my wife and son began their search throughout the mall. Walking from store to store, asking everyone around them if they had seen the child. Luckily the mother had shared an image of her daughter with me, so I shared the image to as many vendors as I could. The situation was tense and only got worse by the minute. After 40 minutes, my son returns to our booth with tears in his eyes, “Dad, I can’t find her…” his tears made mine well up. “Don’t worry, mijo, they’ll find her”.

The mother calls me. Security found her. She was on the South end of JCPennys, standing alone in the parking lot. The girl is recovered, returned to mama and joy is once again restored for this family.

One of the most important factors of this holiday season is our children.

They bring the magic to this time of year. As I sit here typing this, seeing so many children being excited, anxious, nervous and well, ecstatic to see Santa is a clear reminder of what makes Christmas special.

During your holiday shopping, please watch over your children. They are the flower of our nation and their days of wonder are limited, as it seems that society only becomes
more and more conflictive.

Phew…now onto something lighter.

The mall was packed this weekend! There were soo many people all throughout, and the shopping season was in full effect. Many vendors shared with us that they had a great time and sold alot…one vendor sold out! We would like to congratulate Mr. George Pintar for selling out of his books! next time he has books, please swing by and pick up a copy. Great writing and easy to read. GO GEORGE!

What’s in 2023?

The only thing we have coming in 2023 is more opportunity to share our talents with our community!! Just not January. It’s just economics that the mall and many shopping centers are very low traffic for the month of January, so we skip it. That’ll give us a chance to create more, boost our biz, make new connections and figure out new strategies for our spots!

So nothing in January…at all?

Well, we wouldn’t say nothing. We at ACC Bazaar are extremely grateful to every single vendor that has participated at the Bazaar in 2022. To show our gratitude, we would like to invite everyone to a “posolada”, a chill night of posole, coffee and jams at the Downtown Blues Coffee on Main st. We are still working out the kinks for the event, but we’ll make an announcement soon.

New in 2023

The website has an “about the vendor” form that you can fill out, with biz name and contact info, and section to upload your logo and photos. This information will be used to create a directory of vendors for 2 particular reasons. 1, it helps vendors that don’t necessarily have an online presence, an opportunity to display their items, and have a link to share. 2, for our customers. Sometimes customers buy items from us, but forget who they bought from. With pictures displayed, it may help make a connection.

So in a way, it’s like the bazaar, online. Sign up today: “About the Vendor” Form

There is no charge for this service, I strongly believe that we all can benefit from this, making our community stronger.

Phew, that’s alot..

Sorry for the long article. We’ve been extremely excited throughout the year for this event, and we only want to make better, for us, for Las Cruces. We will always be eternally grateful to Loretta Pina, Manager at Mesilla Valley Mall, for allowing us to hold this event here. Special thanks to the maintenance and security from the Mesilla Valley Mall, for always being on top of things. And to my boy Luis Lazcano, for always being on top of the sound for our live music.

Wishing everyone the merriest of Christmas, the happiest of Holidays and the warmest hugs for all of our vendors, friends, family and customers. Bring it, 2023.

Louie and Eunice – Coordinators of the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar

March 28 2023

March Event 2023

No ides in March just vibes

No ides, just vibes

Beginning the Wednesday before the event, our instagram begins blowing up. Vendors begin tagging us, showing their new inventory of arts, crafts and creations. As the weekend gets closer, our anxiety becomes excitement. Seeing the various products that are being announced only makes me wish I was a millionaire; at that rate I would quickly not be, lol.

Saturday

9:30am – I get a phone call from Luis, a vendor that plays and sells wooden flutes. “I’m at the mall, where do I setup…” He comes from
Albuquerque, so I couldn’t really tell him to wait for the 11am setup time. “Go ahead and setup at this location,” giving him instructions where.
Luis lets me know how excited he is to be back at the mall, as he had setup at the Mesilla Valley Mall in previous year. “I’m so glad this is
happening” says Luis.
As I walk around and make sure all of our vendor arrive, one vendor is happy to see that her name was marked on her spot and said,”Oh nice! That’s mee!
Makes me feel important!” Always great feedback; a sense of going in the right direction.

12:45pm – Truman Provencio, from The Truman Music Show, shows up and begins setup. He’s one of 2 singers for the music portion of the

Bazaar. Sound system provided by Luis Lazcano, also a very talented musician and good friend that has always provided a solution for us, when
it comes to sound.

“SWEEEET CAROLINE…..BAH BAH BAAAAAAAAH!”

Our music stage is setup right at the cross of the food court and the two corridors that create an angle at the

mall. The sound system is
pointed toward our patrons eating at the food court so they have great seats to enjoy a bite and some jams.

We were setup about 5 mall spaces
North of the stage, so we could still hear Truman engaging the audience, with a Neil Diamond classic, Sweet Caroline. At the chorus

line, you can
always hear who’s engaged in the song. “BAAH BAAAH BAAAAAAAAAH!” rings through the mall, as everyone in the food court sings along with Truman.
That’s just one of the magical moments of the Artist, Crafters and Creators Bazaar.

Podcast…maybe?

Sunday: We setup our Bazaar information table next to the space where the stage used to be, right next to Luis, our Albuquerque friend
that plays the Peruvian flute.

With his sound system playing relaxing but familiar music, he joins right in with the soothing magical sounds
of the wooden pan pipes and wood flute. I almost took a nap.
With me, I have a Tascam DR-07X voice recorder I’ve been pondering on using. The first thing that comes to mind is, “interviews….I want to
interview the vendors!” Ok, so I have the idea, now to execute. I practice on my lovely wife. Lotsa ums, uhs and clear signs of thought process
“fillers”. What the heck, I went for it.

Stay tuned, podcast in the forecast. 🙂

Are you or someone you know interested in being a vendor? send them this article or even just our website link, www.accbazaar.com. We are
also accepting sponsors, so if you have a business and wants to be affiliated with the ACC Bazaar, feel free to reach out to us on Facebook,
Instagram and now Tiktok! You can also text or call Louie at 575-312-7106.

“Creativity only grows the more you use it.”