The public has a chance to get a jump on holiday shopping and find unique gifts while supporting local small businesses and entrepreneurs, all in one spot next week.
The second annual Augusta University (AU) Holiday Maker’s Market returns on Fri., Nov. 13 to the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (CGITC) campus.
Lynsey Steinberg, AU’s director of Academic Entrepreneurship, told ABD the event also benefits the university and comes at a particularly advantageous time.
“The university just received a notification that we are going to be receiving the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation,” she explained. “This is through the Association of Public Land Grant Universities. We are striving to meet the regional needs, whether it’s workforce alignment, entrepreneurship and innovation, or community engagement, and kind of the synergy of bringing all three of those worlds together.”
Steinberg said the items available are one-of-a-kind gifts, shoppers know will be unique for the recipient. However, the purchase also has a real impact on the sellers.
“A lot of that small business is helping support those who are hardworking, who love to create the products that they’re creating, and sometimes even meeting some sort of need,” she said.
If the inaugural Market is an indication, the need exists. Last year, more than 250 shoppers visited the 26 vendor tables. Demand was so great, Steinberg said they are expanding to 32 tables. Even so, they received more applications than space is available, so vendors are already signing up for 2027.
“Everybody loves the holidays and the opportunity to bring together the small businesses,” she said, adding it created a sense of camaraderie.
“We see some of the small businesses that come to our Holiday Maker’s Market often go to our holiday tree lighting event in December, so it’s the opportunity to bring entrepreneurs on campus to network and engage with our fellow alumni, our students and our faculty and staff.”
The Market will be set up at the Shaffer MacCartney Building on the GCITC campus off Reynolds Street.
Steinberg said it is centrally located in the downtown corridor and provides a glimpse into the cross-section of activities at CGITC.
“To bring everybody here on the riverfront campus, we already have that central theme in the buildings for academia, industry, and government,” she said. “To bring together our community partnerships and our students for the benefit of their success, to watch them network and engage, I’d say this event is really dynamic because it’s unlike anything I’ve seen in some of the other maker’s markets around the region.”
The market will run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Items will include artwork, jewelry, home goods, and soaps. In addition to the vendor tables, five food trucks will be on site offering lunch, snacks, and beverages. Returning from last year will be Wetzel’s Pretzels, and will be joined this year by the Laziza Street Eats Food Truck.
Vendors interested in participating next year can apply at https://airtable.com/apppmLaF92D1qLRwW/pagzZujHDonipM2v2/form
