Holiday Nerd Market attracts players, artists, popular culture followers in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Day one of many annual Holiday Nerd Market drew players, artists and popular culture followers to the Aloft Hotel on Small Business Saturday, turning the downtown lodge right into a hub for collectibles, meals and costumed followers.

Organizers and volunteers mentioned the occasion is about greater than buying: it’s a neighborhood gathering for individuals who share specialised hobbies and pursuits.

“The Holiday Nerd Market is just about community. It’s about being in one space, being together, being united, and sharing each other’s company, and really just diving into that heart of the community,” Nariah Fernandez, a volunteer, mentioned.

Attendees Luna-Freya, Ryan and Joanna Dougherty mentioned the market is an opportunity to see how a lot the area people cares about area of interest hobbies and to search out vacation presents.

“It’s a great time to actually see, like, how much the local community, like, cares about some of these more nerdy and, like, specialized hobbies,” Luna-Freya Dougherty mentioned.

The household mentioned they have been doing Christmas purchasing for each other on the occasion.

Vendors confirmed off handmade and specialty gadgets. Gabriela Alayon of GiGi Creativity mentioned she hand-paints every little thing and {that a} in style merchandise this 12 months is a customized cup that may take weeks to make.

“I love to create and hand-paint everything. But this one is the most popular for this year. It takes me a while making just one cup because I need to make everything from scratch, then wait two weeks until it’s right,” Alayon mentioned.

She additionally supplied pins and different small gadgets for vacation customers.

Other sellers blended crafts with expertise. Brandon David, who sells below the title Captain Bravo, displayed 3D-printed figures and Pokémon collectibles.

“I could do stuff like this. Like, this is me. Hanging out my six favorite Pokémon,” David mentioned. “And I have a 3D printer now, I can control the size of everything I’m making.”