It’s the centerpiece of the holiday shopping season, and the streets of downtown Tucson are packed with small businesses of all kinds for this year’s 53rd Annual Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair.
Some business owners will travel across the country to Tucson for the annual event. For the second year in a row, Trittello owner Michael Bonardi made the 26-hour drive from Columbus, Ohio, to sell his handmade jewelry at street fairs. Bondari’s jewelry is made from coins and has been in business for 10 years. Normally, he’d be at an art fair, but he said this fair was worth a visit.
“I kind of like having all these different walks of life combined into one show to do something else,” Bonardi said. “A lot of times people aren’t going to buy my jewelry collection, [but] They will come to buy things, which is the charm of jewelry. “
For others, the annual event is a little closer to home. Arizonan Collette Ziegler has been coming to the show for seven years to sell her beeswax candles. Similar to Bonardi, she said she came back mainly for the people. For her, though, this time the pressure was even greater.
“this [show] It’s really been a make or break year for me. “
Despite the uncertainty, Ziegler is looking forward to a successful weekend.
View larger image Collette Ziegler sources beeswax from friends and uses it to make homemade candles. Ziegler has participated in the annual Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair for seven consecutive years.
Paola Rodriguez/Arizona Public Media
Beginning Friday, December 1, businesses will remain on 4th Avenue. 9 a.m. to Sunday. Organizers expect nearly 300,000 people to attend this year and recommend parking along the modern streetcar line and using the Sun Link tram to attend. For more information on businesses, musicians and food vendors, visit the event website.