The Bazaar at Millcreek Common is every Sunday until Sept. 29 from 11-4 p.m. This is an outdoor market where you can find vintage products, upcycled goods, arts and crafts plus food from a variety of vendors.

“Curiosity brings us to Millcreek Common today,” said Addison and Kit from Holladay. They decided along with so many folks to take a stroll on this sunny Sunday to check out The Bazaar. 

“We just moved here a year ago from North Carolina and want to look at all the vendors now that it is open to the public,” added Kit.

Stephanie Hanks owns Bright and Stormy kids. “These are vintage products. We have children’s clothes, shoes, toys, accessories and everything and anything that kids like to play with.”

“I have four kids myself and new clothes are so expensive and with vintage is it less expensive and it can be quirky and fun,” Hanks said.

Hanks’ booth was filled with upcycled secondhand clothing, books and toys. “I have a blast finding this stuff,” added Hanks.

Upcycling uses secondhand goods to create a product that might be better than the original one. It is popular these days and many booths at The Bazaar sell only upcycled products. 

“This is my hobby. I express myself through creating art to show and sell to people,” said Diona the owner of Art Journey Shop. “My products are based on good finds from thrift stores and then I recycle them and bring them back to life.”

“It makes my soul happy,” Diona said.

The aroma of the baked Peruvian empanadas along with the free samples being distributed from the booth occupied by Empanadas801 attracted many hungry visitors.

“Everything is made from scratch like the dough. It is a family business run by me and my wife and our two daughters,” said owner Leo Perez. “It is fun. My wife is from Peru and she got the recipes and the sauce from her friend in Peru who is a really good cook.”

They offer chicken, beef, veggie, ham and cheese and they even have a gluten-free empanadas. They all come with jalapeno cilantro dipping sauce.

“They are baked which makes them better. We go to the commissary kitchen and make everything from scratch including the dough and she cooks it then put the seasonings on them and even my daughters help out in the kitchen. Certain days we make different things. Mondays I cut up the dough and cut up the onions and my wife will assemble them the next day.”

“The ones from Peru are not fried they are baked. Empanada means ‘in bread.’ Different areas of South America will make their own types,” Perez said. 

“When the Spanish conquered different regions, they would bring their own cuisine into the area. So different places will put what they ate in the empanadas from that area. This is why it is really cool to try different empanadas in other places,” added Perez.

Perez’s daughter Mari was working the booth and said, “Because they are baked it makes them better. You can reheat them and they won’t get soggy.” 

Perez along with his wife, Marisol Pitta-Perez, are trying to expand their business and have added an apple pie empanada with a caramel drizzle to the menu. This new treat is not Peruvian but is becoming a favorite at their booth.λ