Business
BY DACIA GARCIA
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar celebrates 50 years of community
What started out as a two-day Christmas market with 50 vendors has bloomed into one of Austin’s must-do holiday experiences. Now featuring over 200 artists, Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is celebrat- ing its fth decade bringing artists, musicians and community members together, all in one space. The backstory The event rst launched at music venue Arma- dillo World Headquarters in 1976 with 50 vendors with the intent to save the venue from closing. While the event brought the headquarters four more years, the space o cially closed in 1980 and the experience moved across the city. The venue shifted from South Austin, Austin Opera House, Austin Music Hall and Austin Convention Center before landing at Palmer Events Center in 2010. The atmosphere From Dec. 13-21, the bazaar will ll the Palmer Events Center from oor to ceiling with a variety of art paired with live music and food. “It’s such a creative high,” executive producer Bruce Willenzik said. “We have artists say it’s the well spring of creativity.” Willenzik has been the brains behind the opera- tion since its inception. He’s been able to watch the event and its vendors expand throughout the years. “I got to see so many young artists, both exhibitors and performers, grow and prosper as they built careers—many to national prominence coming from the show,” Willenzik said. The impact Producer and general manager Anne Johnson has been in the Armadillo scene since she was a child. As the daughter of two Armadillo employ- ees, she started her career at the bazaar at ve years old passing out yers. “Some families have Christmas dinner or their Christmas traditions. We had Armadillo,” John- son said. “My dad always told us that Armadillo was what our Christmas was about and the way he funded our Christmas and that’s where our Christmas presents came from.” Artist and longtime attendee Greg Davis has his fair share of transformative memories from the bazaar. In one of his early years selling his photography at Armadillo in 2009, an employee with National Geographic viewed his pieces and a year later, Davis was o ered a contract with the
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar will begin its 50th season featuring nearly 200 artists and live music at Palmer Events Center.
COURTESY ARMADILLO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
The bazaar showcases artists with various art forms including photography, ceramics, paintings and jewelry.
The bazaar rst launched at Armadillo World Headquarters in 1976.
COURTESY ARMADILLO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
COURTESY ARMADILLO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR PHOTO BY SAM YEATES
publication’s image collection. He said Armadillo stands out from other art fairs with its high quality production and sense of community. Looking forward The bazaar has impacted generations of employees, artists, musicians and attendees alike. Willenzik hopes the legacy tradition will continue to evolve alongside the city’s culture.
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900 Barton Springs Road, Austin www.armadillobazaar.com
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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