JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Day one of the annual Holiday Nerd Market drew gamers, artists and pop culture fans to the Aloft Hotel on Small Business Saturday, turning the downtown hotel into a hub for collectibles, food and costumed fans.
Organizers and volunteers said the event is about more than shopping: it’s a community gathering for people who share specialized hobbies and interests.
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“The Holiday Nerd Market is just about community. It’s about being in one space, being together, being united, and sharing each other’s company, and really just diving into that heart of the community,” Nariah Fernandez, a volunteer, said.
Attendees Luna-Freya, Ryan and Joanna Dougherty said the market is a chance to see how much the local community cares about niche hobbies and to find holiday gifts.
“It’s a great time to actually see, like, how much the local community, like, cares about some of these more nerdy and, like, specialized hobbies,” Luna-Freya Dougherty said.
The family said they were doing Christmas shopping for one another at the event.
Vendors showed off handmade and specialty items. Gabriela Alayon of GiGi Creativity said she hand-paints everything and that a popular item this year is a custom cup that can take weeks to make.
“I love to create and hand-paint everything. But this one is the most popular for this year. It takes me a while making just one cup because I need to make everything from scratch, then wait two weeks until it’s right,” Alayon said.
She also offered pins and other small items for holiday shoppers.
Other sellers blended crafts with technology. Brandon David, who sells under the name Captain Bravo, displayed 3D-printed figures and Pokémon collectibles.
“I could do stuff like this. Like, this is me. Hanging out my six favorite Pokémon,” David said. “And I have a 3D printer now, I can control the size of everything I’m making.”