West Philly’s bustling holiday pop-up is like Christmas Village with all Black-owned vendors

West Philly’s 52nd Street corridor is a destination for seasonal cheer, thanks to a holiday pop-up market organized by The Enterprise Center.

Featuring products from over 30 Black-owned small businesses, the department store-meets-local market offers everything from art to accessories to apparel, much of it handmade by local artisans of color.

“The Black Holiday Pop-up is essentially like a Black-owned department store,” Daria Williams, senior director of The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation, told Billy Penn. “The products in store range from candles to clothing to jewelry to other home goods. We have men’s, women’s, kid’s clothing — all kinds of really exciting things.”

With an entrance at 26 S. 52nd St., between Chestnut and Ludlow, the market is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday through Jan. 15. Unlike most street fairs, the pop-up is staffed by a team of sales associates trained to direct customers to the storefronts that best suit their needs.

“It kind of takes the pressure off the vendor to have to be in a space to sell their products,” Williams explained.

As envisioned by Enterprise Center CEO Della Clark, the idea is to attract the same buzz that has surrounded other seasonal markets around the city — think Christmas Village in Love Park — but this time to West Philly.

Williams also hopes the market will help restore the street’s reputation as a bustling shopping hub. “There are quite a few vacancies on our corridor, and we’d like to see them filled with some businesses that we’re connected with.”