The Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network has teamed up with the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts and Cambridge Local First for the Black Business Holiday Marketplace.

The marketplace has run for the past four years as a part of Cambridge’s “Shop Local — I’m Local” small business campaign during the winter holidays.

Nicola Williams, co-founder and facilitator of the Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network shared more about the Black Business Marketplace, which began in 2021.

“We started with a handful of vendors, and now we have 22 vendors being featured over three days,” she said. “Last year, we had over 800 people come through over three days for our holiday marketplace. So, we’re hoping to have over 1,000 [people this year]. The vendors do very well,” she said.

Vendors like IK ECO Jewelry, a sustainable jewelry line by Iona Klais; Cini Coffee, a brand roasting Ethiopian coffee in Roxbury; and the award-winning Bone Sauce are just a few of the businesses that will be on site this year. Williams also said that there will be many new vendors this year, such as Paint Your Truth, The Creative Hub.

“All of the products are made by the vendors or created, curated, developed and manufactured by the vendors themselves.

So, it’s not [any] third party. These are created with love by our local businesses, Black-owned businesses in the Cambridge, Somerville and Greater Boston area, but largely Cambridge.”

Williams says it’s important to give Black and brown businesses opportunities to connect and share their products and services in the community, like the Black Business Marketplace.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy these wonderful products [and] give back at the same time to a community that really [doesn’t] have as much access to retail spaces. So, by supporting them, you’re supporting the local economy for Black businesses. …It’s just amazing, the energy and excitement of talking to these businesses, hearing [their] stor[ies],” she said. It’s just a very positive feeling to be able to give back, benefit from these businesses, and get good quality products.”

The Black Business Holiday Marketplace will run Dec. 12-14 at One Brattle Square in Harvard Square. On opening day, the hours are noon to 7 p.m., with a reception at 5 p.m. Weekend hours for the marketplace are Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14 from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free but attendees are encouraged to RSVP on the marketplace website.

Williams said they are always looking for new vendors for future events and talked about the process to become a vendor. She talked about how she sees the Black Business Holiday Marketplace growing in the future and its impact on the community years from now.

“Well, definitely see it continuing to grow and rotate. …We have another location that we are going to be partnering with, so we’re looking forward to see how that works.”

ON THE WEB

Learn more sbnmass.org/cs-black-business-net