TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair is drawing thousands of people to one of Tucson’s most recognizable corridors this weekend, but tucked just off the main drag are smaller pop-up fairs highlighting local artists, entrepreneurs and first-time vendors.
One of those offshoots, known as the Solar Lot, is set up in the parking lot of Sky Bar along Fourth Avenue. While the main fair stretches for blocks with hundreds of booths, the Solar Lot offers a more intimate space focused on local makers and small businesses.
Under unseasonably warm winter sunshine Saturday, vendors greeted passersby — many of them with dogs in tow — creating a laid-back atmosphere that stood out from the bustle of the main route.
For Celena Santa Cruz, owner of Bark’n’Berry, a dog-friendly ice cream brand, the weekend is about visibility. Santa Cruz launched the business less than a year ago and sees the Solar Lot as a chance to connect directly with her ideal customers.
“My target audience is all the pet owners, so as soon as I see a dog I want to invite them to our business,” Santa Cruz said. “We’re only nine months old, so I’d love to come visit us at the boutique.”
Santa Cruz shared the space this year with Kat Swan, owner of Katswan.com, who is participating in the Solar Lot for the first time. Swan said the atmosphere has been a welcome surprise.
“It’s such a good vibe and there’s so much good energy and creativity,” Swan said. “And the dogs! I even saw an iguana earlier today.”
Solar Lot organizer Cassandra Jones said the smaller fair was intentionally designed to create opportunities for vendors who may not have been selected for the main Fourth Avenue Street Fair, which is juried and highly competitive.
“We were like, you know what, lets see if we can really transform it and focus on a lot of local makers and give them a chance to showcase their products,” Jones said.
Jones added that maintaining a community-focused feel was a priority when curating vendors.
“We don’t have a lot of commercial or larger companies in our lot,” she said. “We like to focus on local makers, sort of hold on to the tradition of street fair, and what it used to be like.”
The Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair, one of Tucson’s longest-running events, traditionally features food, art and entertainment from vendors across the Southwest. The fair and the Solar Lot will both be open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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