Cold Moon Collective offers space to Friday Fling vendors during hiatus

The annual Friday Fling marketplace is currently on hold due to safety issues surrounding vehicles and pedestrians leaving the various vendors without their expected weekly venue to sell their products.

As a response to Friday Fling's postponement, several local businesses and organizations have offered their properties to local vendors to maintain sales during the hiatus.

Cold Moon Collective— a Palmer-based boutique that specializes in upcycled, vintage, and vintage inspired items— has stepped up to offer their property to Friday Fling vendors. A wide range of vendors set up at Cold Moon Collective Friday, June 28 with customers making their way through the grounds throughout the day.

“I feel like we've had a really good turnout for it," Cold Moon Collective co-owner Aurora Hand said.

Hand said their intention is simply to support the vendors affected by the Friday Fling postponement. She said that she they're not trying to take away from the Friday Fling experience so many people have come to enjoy and count on over the years.

“Having it [Friday Fling] makes Palmer have a small town community vibe,” Hand said. “We're just here to provide another place.”

Hand said they plan to keep holding this pop up market for the Friday Fling vendors until it resumes. She noted that hosting vendors is something they plan to make a normal occurrence in the future.

“This is our jam. We like doing this kind of stuff,” Hand said. “We would love to have something pretty regularly.”

Farm Loop Coffee owner Zoe Ash was one of several Friday Fling vendors present at Cold Moon Collective's pop up market. She said that it was an enjoyable experience and she appreciated the opportunity.

“They very quickly put it together and did a great job. I'm super grateful for them stepping up," Ash said.

Ash said that she also took a lot of joy from the fact that so many locals have made a point shop from local vendors during this time period.

“It's been super nice,” Ash said. “I think the community is just coming out to support the vendors. It's just a really cool thing to see happen. Today has been awesome. It's just been a really good community day.”

Ash said that she received an email about the postponement from the Friday Fling host, the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, Monday, June 24.

“I definitely was shocked,” Ash said. “I just hope everybody can work together to get it resolved.”

This is Ash's third year as a Friday Fling vendor. She said it's been a very impactful venue for her small business.

“Friday Fling was a crucial part of people seeing my business," Ash said.

Ash said that a lot of vendors and community members have grown attached to the Friday Fling experience and want it to remain an annual summer tradition.

“They have memories going back years of going to Friday Fling,” Hand said. “It's the perfect thing to bring visitors to. So, it's definitely super important to everybody, and I think how Cold Moon stepped up and so many people showed up today just shows that.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com