The Churchill is bringing the community and local artisans together through their Sidewalk Saturday yoga flow and marketplace event.
Local businesses and The Churchill have found a way to stay connected with the best interest of the community, given that the COVID-19 pandemic is still around, through Sidewalk Saturday, a way to “reintroduce open-air artisan markets back into the community in a really intentional and safe way,” said Hannah Alley, the marketing and social media coordinator.
The event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a 45-minute yoga session by local studio instructors in The Churchill’s courtyard. Every week, there will be a rotation of instructors, which allows for more exposure for different studios to reach the community. Due to COVID-19, the maximum capacity is 25 people, and participants have to pre-register on Eventbrite. Yoga mats will be 6 feet apart from each other and masks will be required of all who participate.
Through Eventbrite, participants have the option to donate whatever they wish directly to the instructor, given that the event is free of charge. According to Alley, this gives an opportunity for local studios to be able to make more official income and have access to additional community members outside of their current clientele.
Anyone who attends the class is eligible to receive a 10% off voucher to any of the businesses within The Churchill.
The artisan market and brunch are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This market allows for local businesses who may not have a storefront to showcase their products along the sidewalk of The Churchill. The vendors will rotate and expand each week to allow for other artisans to share their work.
Attendees this Saturday, Nov. 14, will have the opportunity to try The Churchill’s newest restaurant, Stoop Kid, a New York-style bagels, coffee, and burger restaurant opening on Friday.
CHECK OUT: New York City-style bagel shop Stoop Kid now open at The Churchill
A couple of artisans taking part in Sidewalk Saturday include Verastruct’s Free Plants For All, a local plant business, and Chicana artist Aileen Martinez, also known as @look.see.draw on Instagram.
Verastruct’s Free Plants For All is a local business that believes houseplants should be a human right and should be free since plants grow naturally. The business provides free houseplants to fight poor air quality in people’s homes.
Free Plants For All is a donation-based business and can be found on Patreon and GoFundMe. Donations help provide more free plants to the community and help the process of building a non-profit nursery, according to their official donating pages.
Aileen Martinez scopes out casual, everyday places or events, and if she sees something she likes or is intrigued by, she draws it. She shares her work through Instagram and customers can directly message her if they are interested in her prints, commission work or original drawings.
The Churchill will host Sidewalk Saturday every Saturday. In the future, Alley said, the venue hopes to connect with the local farmers market down the road.
Contact the reporter at laquinla@asu.edu.
