The Fairfax Girl Team 
One store, dozens of vendors, and endless holiday cheer. The Creative Collective Pop-Up is a once-a-year gathering of local makers and artisans, all set up under one roof, for a special shopping experience. The Collective was founded in 2017 by Aurelou Cole + Wendy Whittleton, who have seen the Pop-Up grow from a handful of vendors to a can’t-miss event in the DMV area. The Creative Collective will be at 4213 Fairfax Corner Avenue, Suite E, in Fairfax from November 21st to December 24th. Read on for more about this one-of-a-kind shopping experience at the Creative Collective Pop-Up in Fairfax.
About The Concept
Founders Aurelou Cole + Wendy Whittleton met in 2017 at a craft market in Georgetown. Each was representing her own business, and the two realized that they wanted to try their hand at organizing their own market. They used their own network and word of mouth to get enough vendors together and hosted their first market as the Creative Collective Pop-Up during the 2018 holiday season.
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The market has previously taken up temporary residence at Tysons Corner Mall, Fair Oaks Mall, and this year will be at Fairfax Corner. “It’s our first time being at street level with a window,” Aurelou said. “We love seeing the trees with lights on them and the people walking by.”
The Creative Collective manages the seasonal pop-up market, which features small businesses, makers, designers, & artists. The roster of vendors is curated by Aurelou and Wendy, who try hard to get a variety of vendors. “That might mean having only a few in each category so we don’t end up with a market that has too many vendors of one type, or having vendors competing against each other,” Wendy said. “We also like to work with vendors who are at different stages in growing their businesses.”
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Several vendors are “OGs” – originals – to the 2018 market. “The market is like an incubator for small local businesses that are just starting out,” Wendy said. “It’s exciting to see the vendors grow every year.”
Aurelou said that while the market has experimented with pop-ups at other times of the year, the holiday season is the biggest draw for vendors and shoppers. “So many of these small makers do such a large portion of their business during this time of year, it really made sense to just focus on a holiday market,” she said. “The goal is to have a personalized shopping experience for customers.”
In 2022, the team added workshops and other interactive events, which proved to be a big hit. “We started with a cookie decorating workshop,” Aurelou said. “And it grew from there.” This year’s space has enough room for a dedicated workshop area. “One of our workshops will be an interactive painting workshop with one of the artisans whose work is for sale,” Aurelou said. “He painted a mural on this wall, but it’s unfinished. Customers can come in and paint the mural with him.”
What to Expect
Over 30 local vendors sending all kinds of goods have mini-shops inside the space, which is the former Arhaus furniture store. Aurelou and Wendy pick the vendors, who are often referrals from previous vendors. This year’s lineup includes gourmet goods, handmade art, vintage clothing, women’s clothing + accessories, baby clothing + accessories, home goods, and original artwork. “A lot of the pieces available are one-of-a-kind,” Wendy said. “So if you’re here and you see something you like, you should probably grab it. It might not be there on another visit!”
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This year, there are many workshops and special events featuring the market’s vendors, some pop-up vendors, and other special guests. The list is below; tickets are required for some events.
Greenside Mini Golf Co. Interactive Demo (Free): November 22nd from 12PM-3PM; November 29th from 3PM – 6PM; and December 13th from 11AM – 2PM
Cookie Decorating Class with Simple Cookie Co: (Tickets Required) Multiple dates from November 22nd to December 23rd
All About That Loaf Pop-Up: Sourdough Loaves, Scones, Cookies & more available from 11AM – 2PM or sold out. November 22nd, November 26th, December 6th, December 13th, December 20th, December 23rd
Bejeweled Era Permanent Jewelry Pop-Up: November 23rd (11AM – 6PM), November 28th (10AM – 8PM), November 30th (11AM – 6PM), December 14th (11AM – 7PM), December 22nd (11AM – 7PM)
After School Coffee House Pop-Up: Matcha and Coffee pop-up with drinks available for sale on November 29th from 10:30AM – 3:30PM, or sold out
Live Mural Painting with Penguin Bob (Free): November 29th from 10AM – 2PM
Botanical Soap Making Workshop: (Tickets Required) November 30th at 2PM and December 19 at 6PM
The complete list of vendors is:
The Creative Collective Pop-Up will be open Monday through Saturday from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday from 11AM to 6PM. On Friday November 28th, Saturday November 29th, and the weekends of December 13th + 14th and December 20th + 21st, the store will be open from 10AM to 8PM. On Christmas Eve, the market will be open from 10AM to 4PM. December 24th will be the last day of the market… till next year.
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