DANVERS, MA — North Shore shoppers will have a chance to buy gifts from artists and entrepreneurs with disabilities and autism when Northeast Arc brings its 4th annual Holiday Market to Liberty Tree Mall on Nov. 21.
The not-for-profit organization said the market will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the mall's main hallway outside of the Arc's parcels store.
Northeast Arc said the event will include vendors from across New England and will feature more than 40 participating vendors with disabilities and autism selling products that range from food and knit apparel to toys, fine art, photography, jewelry, games, handcrafted wood kitchen items and live plants.
Many vendors who sell items in parcels also make other products that are not carried in the store. The market gives shoppers a chance to see more items from creators they may already know while also supporting a broader creative economy.
Northeast Arc said parcels was created to highlight the skills, talents and artistic abilities of creators with disabilities. The organization said a goal of both parcels and the holiday market is to help infuse capital into that creative economy.
The event is structured to address barriers that can keep artists and entrepreneurs with disabilities and autism out of similar markets. The organization said some are not able to participate in longer events, which can make it harder to attract new customers and sell their work.
To increase accessibility, Northeast Arc said artists do not have to pay to participate and can keep 100 percent of their sales. The organization also said Northeast Arc staff will be on site to provide natural supports during the day.
The event will also include live entertainment and a visit from Santa.
The TriTown Rock Band, an inclusive group of students with and without disabilities from Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield, is scheduled to perform at 10:30 a.m. Spectrum of Sound, a choral group hosted by the Flutie Foundation, and Santa are both scheduled for noon.
Frankie Bonsignore, an autistic singer and guitar player, is scheduled to perform at 1 p.m. Northeast Arc said DJ Jazzy Jacob, an emerging DJ with developmental disabilities, will play music throughout the day.
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