Under the cover of night: A market with music, stocked bar and Tacoma artists

Stephanie Anne Johnson looked like she’d just emerged from a party when she stepped out onto Tacoma’s Pacific Avenue the night of Aug. 4.

It was the first Saturday of the month, and Johnson was shopping at the Tacoma Night Market. The building, at 734 Pacific Ave., was pulsing with people, music and light.

Johnson, a Tacoma-based singer and performer, opened her bags to display her purchases: a hat made from repurposed fibers, a ring, scented oils and lip balm.

“I love that it’s at night,” she said of the market.

She also liked the local feel.

“Walking in here,” she said, “I’ve given hugs to about 10 people who I know from other places.”

On Saturday (Sept. 1), the Night Market will hold its fifth iteration in downtown Tacoma. Some 45 vendors will be on hand to sell jewelry, food, dolls, clothing, custom chain stitching, body-care products and more.

One of them was J.D. Aarde, who was selling earrings and other jewelry made from copper roof tiles salvaged from the Old City Hall clock tower, just down the street.

Aarde said her father, Sanford and Son owner Alan Gorsuch, collected the copper tiles when crews replaced the roof of the 1893 building.

“It helps when I am able to give my spiel,” Aarde said of her sales. “As soon as I say, ‘Are you familiar with the clock tower?’ they want a piece of the building.”

Aarde has sold her wares at all four Night Markets.

“This is a beautifully curated market,” she said, crediting the market’s creator, Leah Morgan.

“The cool thing about Leah is that she has this great way of keeping everything fresh without leaving people out,” Aarde said.

Morgan, 34, makes and sells totes, hats and other items through her Nap Northwest brand.

Her inspiration for the market was born out of necessity.

“I’m not so much a morning person,” she explained. “I wish I was.”

When she sold at other markets she found herself scrambling to load up her wares, do morning chores and get set up.

“I was usually kind of a mess by the time I was ready,” she said.

But Morgan wanted more than just a market held at night. Those already exist — especially in other countries.

For hers, Morgan incorporated elements from other markets and added some she’s never seen. Her market has a DJ, a bar and it’s held only once a month. The idea, Morgan said, is to have it occur just often enough to make it feel like a special event.

“It would give a chance for folks to get excited and look forward to it,” she said. “There are some people who have come to every market and found something new.”

Morgan lives on a 1965 Christ-Craft boat moored on the Thea Foss Waterway. Born on Vancouver Island, she grew up mostly in Washington. She’s been a glass blower for 19 years at the Museum of Glass and other venues.

Both her parents are musicians. Which leads to the market’s music aspect.

At other markets, “We’re sitting around in silence,” she said. “I come from a family where music is life. It’s a detail that’s overlooked at many of the markets I’ve been at.”

At August’s market, vendor Alexis Devine was seated under a glowing neon sculpture. The Tacoma resident makes jewelry under her Squirrel vs Coyote brand. Laser-cut statement earrings made from recycled acrylic filled her table, along with chain mail and other metal items. She makes it all herself.

“The art scene is growing in Tacoma,” Devine said. “Everyone who shows up here is so supportive and so enthusiastic and really wants this to succeed.”

A veteran of at least 50 markets, she calls her sales at Tacoma’s Night Market “crazy.”

“It’s been the most successful market I’ve done,” she said.

Just outside on the sidewalk, Sarah Collins of Tacoma was selling the few remaining items she had left from her Moon Goddess Magick Apothecary inventory. She makes herbal teas, tinctures, lip balms, perfumes, organic skin care and other products.

“Night Market is my favorite market I’ve been to in Tacoma,” Collins said as she offered a customer a test of a perfume called Wood Nymph made with pine and cedar.

The space Morgan uses formerly housed the nightclub Drake’s. Upper floors house T.U.P.A.C. (the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center).

At August’s market, there were plenty of non-shoppers. Some were at the bar, others were shooting pool.

“You can still come and have a drink and meet up with friends there,” Morgan said.

Proceeds from the bar go to non-profits. So far, the money have benefited Radio Tacoma and Beacon Glass Center.

Morgan’s 45 vendors are all from the Puget Sound area, with most from Tacoma. But just being local doesn’t get one into the market.

“It’s important to me that their stuff will be a good fit,” she said. “It’s also important to me that I think their work will sell. I don’t want them to be there and be discouraged by their work sitting there.”

Vendors can apply via an online form.

Most of the folks manning their tables are the people who made the products.

“It’s really only been artists and crafts people that make their work and are present,” Morgan said.

One of those very much present and producing was Lindsey Diamond, who had brought her 1933 Singer sewing machine with her. It had been used to make chain stitching for letterman jackets, bowling shirts, Mickey Mouse hats, Western wear and motorcycle club patches.

“Now they’re trending again,” Diamond said of chain stitching. “A lot of people are using (chain stitching) to decorate denim.”

In a sense, Diamond runs a tattoo shop for shirts. People bring jackets and shirts to Diamond for custom stitching. On this day, someone had brought in a shirt to be stitched with an ice cream cone design.

Johnson, who was shopping at her first Night Market, said she’ll be back.

“For people moving to this city,” she said, “this is a wonderful place to come and get a flavor for what we do here in Tacoma and who we are.”

Tacoma Night Market

When: 5-10 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month (Sept 1, Oct. 6)

Where: 734 Pacific Ave., Tacoma

Cost: Free to enter

Info: Facebook, tacomanightmarket@gmail.com

This story was originally published August 30, 2018 at 6:07 PM.