GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Local businesses gathered in Grand Rapids’ Rosa Parks Circle Saturday ahead of Juneteenth.
SS Boutique and Fashion Accessories hosted a popup vendor event from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
This event included many different types of vendors, including food, clothing and homemade candles.
Organizers say it was their way of shining a light on small businesses in the Grand Rapids area, who may otherwise go unnoticed.
“Smaller local businesses in the area that don’t get recognized as much, we want them to have that recognition, you know, by coming out and setting up their booths here, so people can, you know, see them,” said organizer Sharon Dawson.
This popup event also gave businesses a chance to network.
With Juneteenth on Sunday, organizers hoped this served as a reminder of the importance of coming together as a community.
“Unity, coming together, that’s the biggest thing, and if you could do more like that in the city of Grand Rapids. We need more of that. We can do more like that in the city. We can all come together and we can continue to do this. It’d be just, it’d be grateful for everything in the city,” Dawson added.
