Fisher Building pop-up market brings out holiday, entrepreneurial spirit
The Fisher Building came alive with holiday cheer on Saturday as visitors shopped inside the historic Detroit landmark.
Hundreds of people poured in from surrounding cities throughout the day to browse more than 20 local business pop-ups, see Fisher Theater and tour the 95-year-old building.
Once the headquarters for car manufacturer Fisher Body Corp., the converted space remains a defining feature of Detroit’s skyline.
Hand in hand, a new generation of local artists, business owners and entrepreneur programs are bringing new waves of visitors into the building now.
TechTown, a entrepreneurial hub founded by Wayne State University, gathered local business owners who are ready to move into brick and mortar locations for the holiday pop-up market Saturday.
TechTown has organized other pop up shops in the city, but Saturday’s was the first in the Fisher Building, Devlin said, adding that organizers planned to host more in the future.
The opportunity is breathing new life into the local business scene for shoppers and entrepreneurs alike, said Christina Devlin, a TechTown retail strategist.
“It is amazing to be in the Fisher Building,” Devlin said. “The building is beautiful; The history, the place within the city. The setting feels very festive, especially for this event.”
Shoppers told The News they shared the same enthusiasm.
“As long as I grew up in Detroit, I would never,” Cindy Brazier, 56, said of visiting the city’s downtown area on the weekends. “Now, yes, I come here just to shop.”
Brazier, of Woodhaven, brought her whole family to the Fisher Building on Saturday, she said. Though she’s only recently began visiting the space more often, the intricate Art Deco designs always take her breath away, Brazier said, pointing out the elaborate ceiling to her family as they walked through.
“I’ve been hooked ever since,” she said.
On days like Saturday, the Fisher Building feels like the perfect place to be at this time of year, said Torya Richardson, 37, who spent her afternoon shopping for holiday gifts.
Richardson has always loved the city and enjoyed exploring it, she said. The building’s timeless elegance undeniably uplift her spirits when she walks through the doors, she said, reflecting on the building tour she once took as crowds of people followed along on their own tours for the day.
Business owners said that timelessness is also part of what drew them to the space.
“I will always love this city,” said Nemo Daoud, 22, an employee at local bookseller Alcott’s Attic.
Hearing legendary Detroit musicians play overhead while talking with shoppers in the community only strengthened that pride for Daoud on Saturday, he said.
“It’s so surreal being a DIY, built from the ground up type of business in one of the most historic buildings in the city,” he said.
Saturday’s pop-up feels like a meaningful way forward for local businesses to be part of continuing that legacy, he said.
Listening to the chatter of guided tours just beyond her shop setup, Detroiter Lisa Borum said the pop-up space was opening new doors for her hand-dyed yarn business, Yarn Nerds.
“I love to be in my own community and just build a craft community where people can come, sit, relax, enjoy the space and be free to be artists,” Borum, 37, said.
“If I was at home, then I wouldn’t be meeting anybody,” she said. “How else will people get to know me?”
