Black-owned holiday pop-up market opens In West Philadelphia

With the holiday season quickly approaching, The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation has opened their first Black Holiday Pop-Up Market in West Philadelphia.

The holiday pop-up market is focused on highlighting over 30 Black-owned businesses, with a diverse range of products such as clothing, art, jewelry, home décor, candles and skin & haircare essentials. The market is at 26 S. 52nd St. and will be open from Tuesday to Sunday weekly until it closes Jan. 15, 2023.

Founded in 1989, the Enterprise Center is a Philadelphia-based organization dedicated to promoting “racial and economic equity by supporting the growth of diverse small businesses and partnering with West Philadelphia communities on revitalization strategies,” per the organization’s website.

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“As a longtime advocate for small businesses, I’ve worked with The Enterprise Center going back to my time as a state representative and now in Congress as a member of the House Small Business Committee. I think the pop-up market is a great idea and a positive thing for both West Philadelphia and the businesses” - U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans

According to Daria Williams, The Enterprise Center’s senior director for community, the origin of the pop-up market began with the space it currently inhabits, a property in West Philadelphia owned by the organization. With renovations on the building still months away from moving forward, the property was set to go unused until The Enterprise Center’s President Della Clark, had the idea to use the vacant space to help support Black vendors during the holiday season, and thus the Holiday Pop-Up Market came to be.

Once planning for the market began in earnest, Williams said that The Enterprise Center felt it was important to create a space where community members in West Philadelphia had the opportunity to feel seen and supported.

“I’ve seen so many people come in and just get really excited coming into the store. Many people said, ‘We need something like this, right? We need something.’ One of the vendors said, ‘It’s like a Black Macy’s in here.’ She’s someone who lives in West Philly and is vending in the space. … I think hopefully it helps them to see themselves in their community and know that the Enterprise Center is here to support them in … their community, where they work, where they play.” - Daria Williams, Senior Director, The Enterprise Center CDC