Each week on Friday nights, the west parking lot at Portage High School becomes filled with merchants of various trades for the weekly vendor night at PHS. Tents pop up and tables are set with an eclectic array of items ranging from homemade soaps to handmade tutus to scratch-made tacos. Every Friday evening from 3:30-7pm from May untill September vendors from all over Northwest Indiana come to share their wares with the lucky shoppers and spectators.
“All of the proceeds go to Fegely Middle School,” PTO President Melissa Johnson said. “With the economy being the way it is, families are having a hard time. So our normal fundraisers weren’t working.”
The PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) had the right idea. Not only can families donate money, they can also donate time.
“Some families that weren’t able to donate money came to the Vendor Walk and set up a booth of their own,” PTO treasurer Carrie Cruse said. “This way they were able to help the school and generate some funds for themselves! Not only that, but the principal Phil Misecko is very involved with the Vendor Walk. He is encouraging the kids to come and hang out, so this is a fun and safe time for our kids.”
This is the maiden voyage for the Vendor Walk and it is open to the public. Hopes are high that it will become an annual event. There’s always something new and different to see.
“There’s live music, food, we’ve had a car wash, a bounce house and vendors selling things ranging from tutus to titanium energy necklaces,” Johnson stated proudly.
The vendor selling the previously stated tutus is a two sister team. Sheri Kitchen and her sister Donna For, owners of Tote Your Tutu, have been making and selling tutus, tutu bags and accessories for about a year.
“I decided to do the Vendor Walk because a friend suggested it to me,” Kitchen said.
“We saw an ad in the newspaper, met with Melissa, and decided to give it a try,” Adolph Flores, manager of Leroy’s Hot Stuff, said. Leroy’s is famous for their homemade Mexican fare.
Speaking of homemade, Mike Terpstra, owner of Love That Soap, can be found at the Vendor Walk. The soap crafter started creating soap for his wife because she had dry hands and supermarket prices were just not cutting it.
“The main ingredients in my soaps are olive, caster, palm, coconut oils. I tried recipes from the Internet, but none worked. So I created my own.”
Mike also makes salt scrubs, hand-filled soap loofahs, and shaving soaps. If you’re lucky, he’ll give you a demonstration!
“The Vendor Walk was another way to get people exposed. Once you try the real thing, it’s hard to go back!”
Staci Burcham, owner of Staci’s Beads and Jewelry, heard about the Vendor Walk because all three of her children went to Fegely Middle School. Burcham sells jewelry that she makes herself from recycled materials. A variety of impressive materials can be found at other booths every Friday. During fall registration, free booth space will be available to other Portage schools.
For more information on the Vendor Walk, check out the Facebook page!