Third World Market in Ellison Bay

Carol Stevenson shows Marianne Porter one of the many instruments for sale at 3rd World Marketplace.

Friday, June 25 marks the annual opening of Third World Marketplace at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay. Running in conjunction with the Olde Ellison Bay Days Ice Cream Social, the Marketplace, open from 6:30 – 9:30 pm, features the workmanship of artisans in developing countries from around the world.

Marketplace visitors have a diverse selection of house wares, baskets, weavings, instruments, and jewelry, as well as fairly traded coffees, teas, and chocolates. The marketplace is hosted in partnership with several groups promoting social and economic justice including A Greater Gift, Maya Works, and Equal Exchange. Proceeds from the marketplace will work towards improving working conditions and providing access to education and health care for the artisans, their families, and their communities.

Both Haiti and Guatemala have endured disaster in the past year. Support from the marketplace proceeds allows the artisans of these countries as well as many others to continue training in hopes that they may one day become economically self-sufficient.