On August 8th, Old Town Albuquerque Plaza transformed for a few hours into exactly what Slow Market was built to be: free entry, live music, and over 20 local makers selling everything from hand-thrown pottery to fresh-baked pastries, all without a single vendor fee changing hands.
But the real story of this market didn't start at 4pm on August 8th. It started days earlier, in a room full of makers getting ready.
The Enablement Session
Before every Slow Market, Above Snakes hosts a free, comprehensive training session to set our local makers up for success. This round, held at the state-of-the-art WESST facility and catered by local favorite Rio Tacos, we dove into:
- Effective Communication — how to connect with customers and share your brand story
- Marketing Tools — strategies and resources to promote your market presence
- Booth Presentation — tips for creating eye-catching, high-converting display setups
- ...and so much more
The goal is simple: make sure every maker walks into market day feeling confident, supported, and ready to have their best day yet.
The Social Contract
The Social Contract, built collaboratively by our makers
During the session, our makers got together and built something we're calling the Social Contract — a collaborative board of the values and goals they wanted the market to hold. Ask questions. Assume positive intent. No judgement. Connectedness. Small business exposure and support. Meet new people. Keep Old Town clean.
It was makers, in their own words, defining what "community-first" actually means in practice. The board closed with a line from Martin Luther King, Jr. that ended up setting the tone for the whole day:
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"
Be Apart of the Next One
Slow Market only works because makers, shoppers, and the Old Town community show up for each other. If August 8th is any indication, that's exactly what's happening — one market at a time.
Follow along for the next market date at @slowmarketabq on Instagram, or check our Slow Market page for the latest on upcoming dates and vendor applications.