The holidays are around the corner, and maybe you’re looking for an alternative to the mall scene and endless online scrolling. Check out Global Village Market, hosted Nov. 5-6 by Greenland Hills United Methodist Church near Skillman and Mockingbird. Their eclectic collection of vendors and organizations will feature unique items from around the world, with a bent toward social justice nonprofits and fair trade gifts.
Ten Thousand Villages offers ethically sourced handcrafted wares, including room décor, wall art, linens, cookbooks, planters, birdhouses, baby goods and more. Their name comes from skilled and dedicated makers in, you guessed it, ten thousand villages across the globe.
Spreading the Warmth is a group of women who knit colorful scarves and give them away. Since they began, founder Christine Nicolette-Gonzalez believes they’ve gifted 3,000 scarves to strangers at bus stops, nurses at hospitals and children in schools. Knitters enjoy their time together, and doctors told Nicolette-Gonzalez her high blood pressure is much-improved.
Casita No. 8 sells hand-embroidered Christmas ornaments and stockings from Mexico and Central America. They partner with artisans, mostly women, who can work from home to earn a living wage, care for their children and become role models within their communities.
Honduras Threads supports a social enterprise owned by 40 women in rural areas outside Tegucigalpa. By selling their hand-stitched, complex appliqued pillows, placemats, table runners and other stunning items, they earn money for their families and communities.
These and many other vendors will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon-3 p.m. Sunday. Saturday will feature homemade pies and animals for adoption, and a food truck will be available Sunday. Live music and a silent auction will run all weekend, and entrance is free. Proceeds go to global and local missions, and the market has raised $437,466 over the last 15 years. Greenland Hills UMC is at 5835 Penrose Ave.
