NOVEMBER EVENT FEATURES MORE THAN 300 VENDORS AND A SPECIAL PRESENTATIAON BY QUILTS OF VALOR
By Grace Silipigni
The Bodacious Bazaar, Coastal Virginia’s largest vendor show, returns to the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton from Nov. 13 to 15. Spearheading the three-day shopping extravaganza is Bodacious Bazaar founder Sandra Gardner.
“This is our 16th year, and it has been quite the ride,” Gardner said. “The bazaar has become more than just a business for me; it’s family. We have vendors we call our Bodacious Family and our shoppers our Bodacious Nation. The Tidewater area has really opened its arms and accepted our show.”
From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, bazaar attendees can shop a plethora of handcrafted goods and custom designs from more than 300 vendors from across the nation.
“I like to say, ‘We have everything from diamonds to fudge,’” Gardner said.
Visitors can anticipate seasonal items, visits from Santa Claus and homemade treats such as spiced nuts and ice cream. Additionally, Crutchman, a lauded outdoor furniture manufacturer, boasts steep discounts on popular pieces found in their two local showrooms.
Central to the bazaar’s success is its commitment to philanthropy. The Bodacious Bazaar benefits a number of local nonprofit organizations by providing them booths and endcaps for the three-day event. Making its bazaar debut this fall is Quilts of Valor, a national nonprofit that awards active-duty and veteran service members touched by war with custom quilts.
Piecemakers of Virginia, a Quilts of Valor group in Newport News, will present three veterans with patriotic-themed quilts during the bazaar. One recipient, Diane Keller, has close ties to the bazaar. The former Air Force photographer now serves as a “Bombshell” for bazaar sponsor Bodacious Bombshells, a nonprofit responsible for procuring winery and distillery tastings for community events. While stationed at Maine’s Loring Air Force Base, Keller supported troops overseas during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
“I never deployed during my 20 years in the Air Force, but I’ve always carried humility in it,” Keller said. “I am touched [to receive] a Quilt of Valor. It’s a tangible reminder that someone took the time to say, ‘We remember your service, and we appreciate what you gave.’”
For more details about the Bodacious Bazaar, visit bodaciousbazaar.com/fall.
Grace Silipigni
Grace Silipigni is an elementary school Spanish immersion teacher based in Virginia Beach and a regular contributor to Coastal Virginia Magazine, covering a wide range of topics such as health and wellness, education and learning, food and drink, happenings and events, travel and getaways and more.
