The Designers Downtown Market in Raleigh

Street markets first caught my attention when I moved from TX to NYC. On the lazy summer Saturdays, I took a subway to the heart of Manhattan, usually somewhere near the Village or Union Square, and just wandered until I bumped into one of many street fairs. Ah, the bliss of finding a hand-woven, jewel-toned skullie from Nepal, big bug-eyed sunglasses, or a brilliant red stone pendant, all with negotiable prices, of course.

The Designers Downtown Market in Raleigh is my satisfying mini substitute. Of course, it's no rival for the endless shopping buffet of NYC and neighboring tax-free New Jersey, but what a great taste... and the offerings are growing! According to their website, the first fair took place in 2005 under a the name "Crafter's Flea Market" at the parking lot of renowned bead store, Ornamentea. Today, the DDM still operates at the same location and operates at least five times a year.

The most recent market was this Saturday, July 11, and what discovered some lovely things. Check out this necklace made of orange rinds by Pam Or Designs. It carries the faint scent of citrus.
I also saw some beautiful hand-dyed scarves made by a young woman named Ryan (her website for Flamboyant Scarves isn't up yet), and eco-design jewelry made from bright, heavy weight recycled paper by Zass Design. Next time I'll do better with photos.

The next DDM is Saturday, Sept 12, 2009.