Bridgetown Market underway

Vendors are hoping for larger crowds and more sales at Bridgetown Market over the next two days.

The much-anticipated Crop Over event got underway on Saturday along the Mighty Grynner Highway following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bridgetown Market 2023

Keleek Welche of Keleek’s Natural Products and Services, one of the entrepreneurs at the location, sells various skincare products.

“I wanted to get more exposure for my business. I want a lot more people to get to know about it, and this is a way for me to do that. So far, people have been showing interest, I have made some sales, and I am also looking at it as getting people to know me. So not only sales, I want the exposure, so I am looking at it as a positive all around,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Keleek’s Natural Products and Services

Welche added: “I have been dabbling in natural products for a while because of my son. He is allergic to almost everything, so I had to find . . . things for him to use. So that is how I started.”

Delicia Alexander, owner of Delicia’s Online Creations, specialises in resin art, personalised gifts and other services.

“This is my first time at Bridgetown Market. Actually, this year, [I have been] doing all of these different events and fairs. I did Agrofest, which was really good; I did Oistins Fish Festival [and] I did Gold Cup. So far, everyone is gravitating [to the stall] because everything is pretty, but it has not been a crowd that is spending. They are just looking,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Delicia’s Online Creations

The COVID-19 pandemic, Alexander said, played a significant role in creating her business.

“I knew I always had talent, but I never took it seriously because I always said I had a job. When COVID hit, and I did not have any other choice, this was my go-to. I built the skills from there . . . built the brand, and it got really big. I started the [business] page in COVID, and now I got almost 7 000 followers by just customers coming and buying and referring me to other people,” Alexander explained.

Other vendors said they were excited about this year’s event, including Sandra Trotman of Sandy’s Jewels, who has showcased her products at Bridgetown Market for a number of years.

Bridgetown Market continues on Sunday.(SB)