The Thursday Night Market has returned to Evanston’s Fountain Square, providing an outlet for local artists and makers and with music and fun for downtown visitors.
There were a wide variety of vendors at Thursday’s first market of the season, selling art pieces, jewelry and clothing.
“I don’t have a physical store,” said Finch Bertram of Brightlyart at a stall filled with colorful crocheted creatures.
Some of Bertram’s wares, such as a tiny crocheted octopus, can be completed within a couple of hours, while others can take up to a week to finish.
Bertram said it’s harder to make money with larger items. “It’s more difficult to get people to pay prices that will justify the effort.” This is Bertram’s second year at the market.
Chanda Johnson, proprietor of AO Lightworks, mixes her photography skills with up-cycled vintage clothing to create unique designs, mostly on denim.
She especially likes “adding something unique and vibrant that tells a story” to jean jackets, which provide an interesting tableau for her work.
More Thursday Night Markets will be held from 4-8 p.m. on July 6, Aug. 3 and Sept. 7.