Alif Institute To Host Weekend Spring Bazaar In DeKalb

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb and Greater Atlanta residents can enjoy the outdoors while browsing through homemade items and foods from 27 diverse vendors this weekend.

Alif Institute — a local nonprofit that promotes awareness about the Arab Middle East and all its cultures — is hosting an outdoor spring bazaar at 3288 Marjan Drive in Atlanta (but in DeKalb County) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's free and open to the public.

The bazaar, which is the Arabic word for "marketplace," will feature 27 local vendors from a range of artistic mediums, including:

• natural soy candles from Cedar House Candles;
• handbags from Peace of Thread, which are handmade by refugees in Clarkston using upcycled fabrics from the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center;
• bilingual Kids Books by Nayera in English and Arabic languages;
• plus jewelry, home decor; fabric art; ceramics; paintings; and art prints.

Additionally, food vendors will be in attendance including Tamr Atlanta and Route 78.

"After the last year, we are looking forward to gathering safely with the community to celebrate the spring season and support local artisans, nonprofits and small business owners at our Annual Spring Bazaar," said Mouna Abdelhamid, executive director of Alif Institute.

As part of the bazaar, attendees can register for on-site Arab cooking classes, a backgammon tournament and participate in a communal art project that will be auctioned off to benefit children's medical care in Gaza. Tickets can be found here.

The event will be outdoors and will keep physical distancing and sanitary guidelines as a priority. Masks will be required.

For more information, visit the Alif Institute's website.