The Alaska-Juneau Public Market: Southeast shoppers throng to annual three-day event.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: RETAIL

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For almost three decades, the Alaska-Juneau Public Market has been welcoming shoppers to Juneau. Held on the three days following Thanksgiving, it is an event almost as eagerly anticipated as the coming of St. Nick. Now in its 29th year, the Public Market attracts around 175 vendors, close to 500 people working the venue, and a substantial portion of Juneau and Southeast shoppers.

"While the exact number of people who attend the market is proprietary information, I will say that it is the best attended event in Southeast by a long shot," said Peter Metcalfe, owner and organizer of the yearly event. "We use the entire Centennial Hall facility, and even have a Public Market annex that we fill up as well."

The family affair is run by Metcalfe and his wife, Sandy, who handles the finances, and nephew Luke Metcalfe, now 26, who has been working at the market since the age of 7 and is in charge of operations. Approximately half of the merchants are from Juneau, 25 percent are from Southeast, and 25 percent are from the rest of the state or Outside.

"All of the vendors must fit into the theme, 'Only at the Public Market,'" Metcalfe said. "We encourage vendors to do demonstrations, or to bring in artists from out of town, or to bring products that are being shown for the first time. We want to avoid having people pay admission to see retail businesses they could see outside the market for nothing."

The market features everything from handmade knives and stained-glass windows to Alaska Native artwork. High-quality handicrafts include jewelry, handmade soaps, candles and carved burl bowls.

"Our goal is to always have something fresh, new and interesting," Metcalfe said. "If you came to the Public Market last year, 35 percent of the vendors will be new to you this year. About 25 percent will be brand new, and 15 percent rotate in and out. The market has a revolving cast, which is a good thing for it."

SUCCESS FROM THE START

The Public Market was one of the first events to be held in Juneau's "brand new" Centennial Hall in 1983 and immediately found success.

"I'd been doing music promotion on the side and planned to bring big music acts into the new hall, but at the time, it had a formula that worked against that," Metcalfe said. "However, the hall had favorable rates for holding a public event, and since I was a big fan of the Pike Place Market in Seattle, it sparked the idea."

The first Public Market was held in the summer...