People crowded the tables placed under awnings near a Phoenix light-rail stop Saturday for a one-of-a-kind outdoor market.

The World Bazaar & Phoenix Community Market came to life at the light-rail Park-and-Ride lot at 19th Avenue and Camelback Road.

The vendors were mostly refugees or first-generation immigrants, according to lead coordinator Danielle Luna, who has organized two World Bazaar & Phoenix Community Market events.

“This is an opportunity for them to showcase their assets to the community,” she said.

Sarah Scoville-Weaver, 28, organized the first World Bazaar event in 2016.

 “The entire point of the event is to bring out immigrant and refugee business owners and vendors in order for them to come out into the community,” Scoville-Weaver said.

The events occur twice a year, and the next World Bazaar will be the first weekend in December, Scoville-Weaver said. 

Local immigrant- and refugee-owned businesses took part, featuring food, handcrafted jewelry, dresses, scarves, baskets, and a variety of artworks.

Local First Arizona, Fuerza Local, and the International Rescue Committee in Phoenix helped organize the event. All are non-profit organizations. All earnings made by the vendors goes back to them, Scoville-Weaver said.

Scoville-Weaver said the number of patrons is growing with each event, with 1,000 to 2,000 people dropping by each time.

 

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