Ferndale Underground Holiday Market offers unique shopping opportunity in parking garage’s basement

Mark Loeb wants to take you down to Funkytown for the holidays.

By “Funkytown,” he means Ferndale. By “down” he means the basement of the public parking structure at Allen and Troy streets, a block west of Woodward in the city’s downtown.

On Nov. 16-17, the basement is ground zero for the Ferndale Underground Holiday Market, a decidedly different seasonal event that Loeb promises as a “great way to enjoy music, craft making and buy unusual gifts for everyone on your list – all at the same time.”

Loeb is market producer for the event, which was introduced last year as a spinoff to the city’s time-tested Funky Ferndale autumn art fair. Some 80 artists and exhibitors are expected for the holiday market, offering handcrafted items and unique artworks.

“We look for things that are a bit more edgy,” Loeb said. “Our goal is to encourage people to choose one-of-a-kind gifts for their loved one.”

Among those are desktop robot-looking pieces retrofitted to serve as power strips to charge phones and computers. The nifty, useful gadgets are among the creations of Livonia’s Andy Ozark, a former Ferndale resident. An advertising art director and content creator by day, Ozark kicks back during off-hours to fashion robots from rescued metal glass and wood, including cast-off auto parts.

“I make goofy robots,” said Ozark, adding that he values the Ferndale “vibe” for atypical art and crafts. “I like to come up with something different, mix it up.”

Ozark and Loeb said the underground market provides a unique opportunity for holiday shoppers to expand their buying to include nontraditional choices.

The market, Ozark said, is a “fantastic” way to enjoy the “eclectic” nature of Ferndale.

“There’s plenty of opportunity in this to see things you won’t see somewhere else,” Loeb said.

Among exhibitors, he said, are crafters and artists who have other careers, but welcome the market as an outlet for their creative pursuits or as a side hustle.

It’s also for a worthwhile cause. There is no charge to attend the market, which is part of Ferndale’s annual Jingle and Mingle initiative. Marketgoers are encouraged to make a monetary donation or drop off canned or dried food items to benefit the Renaissance Vineyard Food Pantry and the FernCare Free Health Clinic.

In addition to crafts and art for sale, the market will feature holiday ornaments, music and make-and-take activities for children and adults. Younger art enthusiasts will show their wares, with the Mint Artists Guild offering art gifts by Detroit teens and art for sale by young artists in the Creative Kids’ Market.

The Ferndale Holiday Brass Band will perform at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, followed by Sing Out Detroit at 3 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 17, performances are scheduled for 1 p.m. by Axis Music Academy and 3 p.m. by folk singer Mark Reitenga.

The market is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 16 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 17.

By going underground, Loeb said, the market is well-positioned should bad weather roll into town. In addition, parking should be no problem.

“Nobody else is going to do a holiday market in the basement,” Loeb said.