Release Date: November 26,2024
Inaugural ZipsGuide Holiday Market Invites the Campus and Community to Shop Small & Local for “Made in the 330 Monday,” Dec. 2
With more than 40 vendors, a Holiday Dance Party for children sponsored by Mr. Jeff, and pictures with “Zippy-Claus,” the event keeps the Black Friday fun going on the University of Akron Campus.
AKRON, Ohio – Nov. 18, 2024 – ZipsGuide (www.zipsguide.com) presents its inaugural “Made in the 330 Monday” Holiday Market to bring the community and campus together to support small, local Akron makers and businesses. The 40 plus vendor market and children’s holiday dance party will fill the second floor of the Jean Hower Taber student union on the campus of The University of Akron Monday, Dec. 2 from 2 to 7 p.m. The event and concert are free and open to the public, and community members can reserve hassle-free parking in Lot 37 at 349-211 Carroll St, Akron, OH 44325 with their license plate number at www.uakronpark.com.
“ZipsGuide is intended to encourage our students to shop downtown, our community to visit us on campus and for everyone to shop small and local in downtown Akron,” Julie Cajigas, professor of practice in the School of Communication and event organizer, said. “The ‘Made in the 330 Market’ brings all three of those goals together.”
The market features more than 40 small, local vendors with a focus on downtown Akron and is co-sponsored by the office of campus programs and Jeff Klemm, local children’s musician. Vendors will offer a variety of items including apparel, accessories, self-care products, candles, jewelry, handmade items and much more. “We are excited to see the number of vendors for whom this is their first in-person show,” Cajigas said. “Part of our goal with the market is to offer the makers and small businesses in our community a boost, and we were able to do that by keeping participation in the market free of charge for the vendors.”
Mr. Jeff’s Holiday Dance Party, 5 to 7 p.m.
For families and children, the market offers ‘Mr. Jeff’s Holiday Dance Party’ from 5 to 7 p.m. in the piano lounge at the Jean Hower Taber Student Union. A local children’s musician who recently released his debut album, Mr. Jeff will be performing his original music and DJ’ing holiday music during the dance party. Zippy-Claus will be available for photos with attendees from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. and children can also enjoy crafts, mailing a letter to the North Pole, and the opportunity to decorate a Christmas card for local nursing home residents.
“We are very grateful that Mr. Jeff is sponsoring a children’s area at the event,” Cajigas said. “We are hoping that families will come to the student union, shop the market, enjoy the concert, take photos with Zippy-Claus make a craft and have a great time.”
Dinner Options
The student union boasts multiple dining locations throughout the Holiday Market vendor area that are open for dinner including a Starbucks, the Union Market (wide range of options including salad bar and sandwiches), Chik-Fil-A and Freshens. Families who want to take a short walk on campus can also visit Robertson’s Dining Hall, which serves all-you-can-eat dinner until 8 p.m.
Door Prize Raffle and Campus Cupboard Most Needed Items Drive
The market will feature a door prize raffle with items from many of the vendors as well as Downtown Dollars donated by Downtown Akron Partnership. Attendees can earn additional raffle tickets throughout the event by completing a scavenger hunt, purchasing an item, making a card and by bringing a donation for the University of Akron campus cupboard, which helps students in need. Attendees can find their most needed item list here. The drive and card making activity are hosted by Serve Akron, a student organization focused on service.
ZipsGuide is the product of a partnership sponsored by the University of Akron EXL Center for Community Engaged Learning between the UA’s public relations program and Downtown Akron Partnership. The collaboration is intended to give public relations students the opportunity to practice new skills with a hands-on, real-world application that benefits the community. The students and instructor Julie Cajigas have published a 2023 holiday guide and 2024 ‘moms, dads and grads guide,’ focused on the stories of the people behind the businesses in Downtown Akron.
The holiday market will be the first event hosted by ZipsGuide. It is being supported by students in Public Relations Strategic Campaigns, Public Relations Writing and Newswriting. ZipsGuide also has two interns funded by the EXL center through Downtown Akron Partnership, Beth Lattime and Taylor Loftin. Both are PR students who have worked on ZipsGuide as students in a community engaged course in a previous semester.
“The opportunity for students to work on this project in class, and then apply to be interns and work on it outside of the classroom is amazing,” Cajigas said. “It’s fun to watch the students make ZipsGuide their own and to see what each person brings to the collaboration.”
The ZipsGuide “Made in the 330 Monday” Holiday Market is Monday, Dec. 2 from 2 to 7 p.m. in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union, with Mr. Jeff’s Holiday Dance Party for Children during the 5 to 7 p.m. hour. Hassle-free parking is available in Lot 37 - Schrank Hall Parking Deck at 349-211 Carroll St, Akron, OH 44325. Parking is $10 and can be prepaid with a license plate number at uakronpark.com.
About the University of Akron ZipsGuide
The ZipsGuide to Shopping Small & Local in the Rubber City is a community engaged learning project that is part of a long-term collaboration between the public relations program at The University of Akron and Downtown Akron Partnership. Funded by the EXL Center for Community Engaged Learning, it is intended to serve as a shopping guide where people across the Northeast Ohio region can find the stories of Akron's unique family of small businesses and shops. The website also serves as a media kit for media outlets telling stories about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artists Sunday and shopping local small businesses. ZipsGuide editor Julie Cajigas is a professor of practice in the School of Communication at the University of Akron, and every public relations course she teaches works on the guide for part of their semester. www.zipsguide.com
About Mr. Jeff
Mr. Jeff was a local preschool teacher until he dove headfirst into being a full-time children’s musician and music teacher. His dedication to children's music and education led him to earn the title of "Best Kids’ Jam Session 2020" by Akron Life Magazine. According to his website, Mr. Jeff is nurturing the next generation of rockstars through private music lessons and music videos. Beyond children's music, Mr. Jeff, also known as Jeff Klemm, is a prolific musician with four full-length original albums, several EPs, and many singles for grownups. He's spent the last decade traveling, touring, and performing in 41 states with his various bands. www.mrjeffisfun.com