Wednesday, October 12, 2011

West Side Bazaar leaves its comfort zone

 The West Side Bazaar is going on the road this fall to sell its international goods outside of its Grant St. home.
 The bazaar, located at 242 Grant Street, opened in March and hosts vendors who are immigrants and refugees from countries such as the Ivory Coast, Peru, Indonesia, South Sudan and Rwanda.
 Mary Joy Buscemi, the bazaar’s marketing coordinator, has made it her goal to get the vendors acquainted with different communities in Buffalo including the arts, the Elmwood Village, Buffalo State College, and the suburbs. The bazaar will be found at
· Tri Main Center, 2495 Main St., Oct. 18 and Oct. 19 from 10:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.
· “Bazaar Gives Back” Guercio & Sons parking lot, 250 Grant St., Oct. 22
· International Institute 864 Delaware Ave. and “Girls Night Out” at Salvatore’s Italian Garden, 6461 Transit Rd., Nov. 3
· Buffalo State College Student Union 1300 Elmwood Ave., Nov. 15 and Nov. 16
· ZGM Fine Arts Gallery 1045 Elmwood Ave., Nov. 17 through Dec. 30, Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
 At several of the locations, the merchants will donate a portion of their proceeds to the following organizations that help immigrants and refugees just like them: Journey’s End, Jericho Road Ministries, Buffalo Without Borders and Child & Family Services: Haven House.
 The Grant Street location will also have special holiday hours on Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 20 until January. By Kaitlin Fritz and Kaitlin Riznyk