OUR HOLIDAY MERCADO IS COMING UP AT LA PEÑA!! We are thrilled to invite you to participate at one of our most beloved events of the year: our Holiday Vendors Fair. This year’s event will be held indoors & in front of La Peña on Sunday, December 8th, 2024 from 11:00am-5:00pm and will focus on celebrating artists, artisans & vendors from the Bay Area. 

While everyone is welcome to sign up, we are giving priority to local artists and artisans who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQIA+, multiracial, and migrants. Thank you for helping us to fulfill our mission!

If you’d like to participate as a VENDOR, PLEASE READ the information below before signing up:

1. This year, the Holiday Mercado is INDOORS & IN FRONT OF LA PEÑA from 11:00am-5:00pm (Address: 3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705, near Ashby Bart Station). 
2. We are offering the following spots:
   • 3ft spots (inside of La Peña) = $60 each
   • 6ft spots (inside of La Peña) = $100 each
   • 10ft spots outdoors (in front of La Peña) = $130 each
   • NOTE: We are strict with tables’ measurements since our space is limited. Please be mindful. Vendors can share their spot with other vendors if they want to! 
3. Vendors must bring their own tables. Chair(s) will be provided by La Peña. 
4. Vendors will be selling 11:00am-5:00pm. Vendor load-in starts at 9:00am (make sure you give yourself enough time to park and set up!) 
5. Although we do extensive publicity, vendors are also expected to publicize the event. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Newsletter to share our promotional materials!

Instructions to sign up as a VENDOR:

1. Fill and submit the form below. 
2. Make your payment on this link: https://lapena.org/payments/ (in “Reason for Payment” put “Holiday Mercado 2024”). 
3. IMPORTANT:
   • We don’t offer refunds (and we can’t control the weather for that day either!)
   • If you are applying as a FOOD VENDOR, please submit the form below and WAIT for us to reply BEFORE submitting a payment. Due to City of Berkeley regulations and limitations of our space, we can only accept compliant pre-made and pre-packaged treats.
4. Send your transaction receipt to Ellen at ellen@lapena.org. IMPORTANT: You will ONLY be reserved a spot once you have submitted your transaction receipt and received a confirmation email. If you submit your payment and don’t receive a confirmation, contact Ellen at ellen@lapena.org. 
5. Once you have registered, made your payment, and sent your receipt, expect an email from ellen@lapena.org with a welcoming message and further set up information. 

We look forward to having you at this community event! If you have any questions, please contact Ellen Salazar at ellen@lapena.org.

Dear LP Community,

As you may know, the last twelve months at La Peña have been very busy! With a lot of work and dedication from our team, we are proud of having significantly expanded our events calendar, deepened our collaborations with community members, doubled our weekly roots arts classes, re-launched our rentals model, held organizing and fundraising space for Gaza, started our first-ever membership program, and so much more. 

This growth responds to the community’s needs and reflects the pivotal moment that we’re in both culturally and as an organization. During times of blatant dehumanization, environmental destruction, and rising political and economic uncertainty, building hope and cultivating organized communities is essential. Spaces like La Peña show us that we are not alone, and allow us to find strength in the intersection of collective struggle, joy, and creativity. 

Unfortunately, our ability to continue to be that space is now in jeopardy, as La Peña is facing its deepest financial crisis since the 2008 Great Recession. In just the past ten months, we have faced staffing cuts, multiple transitions, and a six-figure budget deficit due to sunsetted Covid-relief grants and local/global shifts in philanthropic priorities.

Despite these challenges, our young, five-person staff remains committed to making La Peña the space for radical thinking, artistic collaboration and international solidarity that these times demand. Now, more than ever, we need your support to not only expand the programming our community relies on but also to develop a multi-year strategic plan that ensures our cultural resistance continues for decades. As we approach our 50th Anniversary in June of 2025, this campaign begins a new pathway for La Peña’s longevity. Our goal is $50,000; help us make La Peña stick around for another 50 years!

The 4 best ways to support La Peña right now are:

Contributions to La Peña are tax deductible. Our Tax ID number is 94-2459560.

Thank you for trusting our work and for being on this journey with us!

With immense gratitude,
LP Team