To kick off the month of December, Rittenhouse Village at Portage hosted their 3rd annual Holiday Bazaar. Vendors came from around the area to set up shop inside Rittenhouse’s beautiful facility, making a trip to the market within easy reach for the residents.
Residents and staff could be seen perusing booths, talking with vendors, and sharing laughs with one another. As Kim Scott, Director of Recreation and Events explained, the bazaar has grown exponentially, and with 21 booths, this year was the biggest they’d had yet.
“We created it in the beginning for our residents so they could shop in their own environment. This is about triple what we had last year,” explained Scott. “The residents enjoy it and we try to keep things more affordable for them.”
The joy was apparent as people moved throughout the facility viewing booths set up by representatives from Mary Kay, Avon, Scentsy, LuLaRoe, and of course, those with their own handmade goods. One vendor, Sue Kilgore, who ran a Chalk Couture booth selling stencils and chalk paste that allows for customers to create beautiful designs on a variety of surfaces, was excited to be at the event as her mother is a resident, and it gave her a chance to introduce her business to the community.
“I just got started in this and found out they needed vendors for a bazaar, and we love Rittenhouse, so I’m here to support that,” said Kilgore. “They’ve been awesome for my mom.”
As residents moved around, the interaction that creates such a warm, homelike environment at Rittenhouse was apparent. They made time to stop and speak with friends, ask the vendors questions, and share stories of holiday shopping in years past.
Mary Allard, a resident at Rittenhouse Village at Portage was one of many residents moving throughout the bazaar. She’s resided at Rittenhouse for the past year and a half, and has truly enjoyed the changes to the bazaar, as well as the many activities they provide throughout the week.
“This is much better than last year,” said Allard. “It’s so much bigger.”
For residents, employees, and community members, the third annual Rittenhouse Village at Portage Holiday Bazaar was a success. With booths located on both floors of the building and a variety of goods to choose from, residents were able to start their holiday shopping, or just visit with members of the community. As the event continues year after year, it’s sure to grow and continue to bring joy to residents.