Customers gathered around the tables set up with food, including tamales, and other unique products as DJ Purple Lettuce mixed music in the background.
Plantiitas, a local LGBTQ, Latinx-owned plant shop hosted a Labor Day Weekend market for customers on Saturday, Sept. 4, in an effort to help promote vendors through a large selection of products and plants for people to choose from.
“The goal for the market is to bring people to actually showcase their products, sell their stuff, and for them to keep their money,” Kevin Alcaraz, one of the owners of Plantiitas, said.
Kay’s Kreations, owned by Kristin Franklin, described her business as “full of love, passion, flavor, and spice!”
At this event, she was selling flavorful tamales filled with pork, chicken, or even a vegetarian option.
Franklin said she has been a long supporter of Plantiitas, and has been a vendor for the market since it began last year to provide merchants a free space who would otherwise have to rent a pop-up shop space, and give away a percentage of their earnings.
One of the vendors, Lori Singman, who owns Ladybugs of Long Beach creates ladybug decor for the plants bought at Plantiitas.
Singman said that customers get the best deals in town when buying from Plantiitas, but people also need a ladybug to go with their plant.
“It’s a wonderful store and the guys that own it are just super and the women who work here the same,” Singman said. “They’re just super people.”
Joann Ly, owner of Lavender and Tower, a shop that promotes mental health awareness and crystals, was also at the event.
“I knew Plantiitas back when they were selling from their garage,” Ly said. “Being able to come back and be supported by a business I love and adore, it feels good.”
Ly added that if people don’t want to get into the spirituality of crystals, they are still “tangible reminders to take care of our mental health.”
If people were unable to attend this past weekend, the pop-up shops will continue every weekend during the months of October, November and December due to high demand for the holidays.
If you are a small business or know of any Black or Brown-owned businesses that would like to participate in the next market, contact Plantiitas through their Instagram at @plantiitas, or visit the shop.
To see more of Kay’s Kreations, visit her Instagram at @kays_kreations38.
To find more on Ly’s crystals and other products, visit @lavenderandtower on Instagram.