Debora Charmelus wants you to understand that racial equity has a lot to do with how you spend your money and who you support.
In December of 2020, the entrepreneur and content creator noticed a need for markets exclusively featuring Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia. So she decided to launch a market featuring the city’s artisans and makers while celebrating Philly’s Black history.
Charmelus’ passion project is now an annual event with over a dozen vendors selling their crafts in historical Philly venues. CADO (pronounced kaah-doh, it translates to “gift” in Haitian Kreyòl) Market will return for its fourth year at the Hatfield House in Strawberry Mansion on Sept. 30 with 20 Black-owned and -operated vendors, an art gallery, educational panels, music, and more.
Working in Philly’s arts and culture scene since 2016, Charmelus’ experience in putting together past art shows and events comes from relationships she’s built with local artists as founder of a creative project production agency called Kontan Creative.
Over the years, CADO has continuously found new ways to support the vendors and help them grow, from educational events to small business conferences.
“The benefit of a market that is so intentional is that the audience comes in eager to support — they’re looking for ways to connect with these brands and be brand evangelists for them,” Charmelus said. “When we talk about CADO, we don’t view it as just a market. We view it as kind of a trade show opportunity for exploration, that’s the direction we hope to grow in — a display for Black creativity.”
What to expect
On Sept. 30, the grounds of the Hatfield House in Strawberry Mansion will be bustling with a market of 20 Black-owned and operated vendors. Shop jewelry, streetwear, body and bath goods, and more with a cup of joe from pop-up vinyl cafe Sonic Brew. Grab sweet treats from Dreamworld Bakes and camp out with a blanket on the lawn with music flowing from the cafe’s vinyl set up.
Inside the historic house, check out the quarterly arts and culture publication Zindzine’s pop-up shop and gallery featuring local Black artists, including Nazeer Sabree, Yannick Lowery, Naomieh Jovin, Gerardine Aldamar, and Doriana Diaz. The artists use craft-based practices focusing on collage and archival mediums to bring the theme of Black cultural preservation to life. Connect with the artists and purchase artwork at the show curated by editor-in-chief Zindzi Harley, the former assistant curator at the African American Museum in Philadelphia who launched the publication to carry on her curatorial work.
“We’re really excited to be able to create this small art show for people to engage with some up-and-coming artists [with] many of them previously in the Mural Arts Black Artists Fellowship, which will be hosting a small picnic in the back of the lawn for these artists fellows,” Harley said.
There will also be a panel on preserving Black history with Chris Rogers of the Henry O. Tanner House, a local Black historic house, and Morgan Lloyd from the 1838 Metropolis Project, a Black history educational initiative. Plus, the Instagram account All Black Everything Pop Up will host a live shopping network experience — the Instagram account highlights Black-owned brands QVC-style on the social app.
Is there an admission fee?
The CADO Market runs from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are pay-as-you-wish (the suggested donation is $10) and pay-as-you go with vendors. Fairmount Park Conservancy and Mural Arts Philadelphia support this year’s market.
Where is CADO Market located?
The Hatfield House was built in 1760s at Hunting Park and Pulaski Avenues in what’s now the Nicetown neighborhood. Later in 1930, the property was donated to the city and moved to East Fairmount Park in Strawberry Mansion, where important Black Philadelphians like Henry Ossawa Tanner, Joseph Mander, and John Coltrane resided.
“It really became a beacon in that neighborhood, which was a thriving economic hub for Philadelphia,” Charmelus explained. “[Now] we see artists residencies — it’s become a community space that is meant to highlight and celebrate the Black community.”
Harley adds that activating these sites for CADO is “an opportunity for us to reimagine the ways that we perceived our past” — it’s inspirational for the people in those communities because they have been historically left out of the narrative when we talk about “how amazing the city is.”
“I think it’s important for us to empower people within these communities to take on that challenge of self determination and empowering themselves as opposed looking for it through other institutions and organizations that haven’t always centered Black cultural heritage,” she said.
Who are the vendors at CADO Market?
Buy quirky cards, cool stickers, artsy prints from G + Rizz, urban folk art pieces from Urban Folk Art, and clothing from Nigerian concept brand Riveriswild.
Other vendors include:
Enjoy pretty cakes from Ashley Huston of Dreamworld Bakes, a pop-up bake shop that’s part of Philly’s buttercream revival. Sway to vinyls and sip with Sonic Brew, a pop-up coffee and vinyl cafe often found at Clark Park Farmers Market.
How to participate in CADO Market?
Charmelus and Harley are at capacity and no longer looking for vendors. But folks are welcome to sign up for future opportunities on the website. There will be a form for interested businesses to fill out for events to come.
“I’m at the point where I’m saying no to people, which is so hard,” Charmelus said. “I’m really looking forward to the next iteration, hopefully finding a space that allows us to spread out a little more.”
📅 Sept. 30, noon to 4 p.m.,📍N 33rd St., 🌐 cadomarketplace.com