music

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!

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.