The Cyclorama and the Bazaar

Every year since 2001, the Bazaar Bizarre has brought together avant-garde knitters, hipster t-shirt printers, vinyl melters, and other makers of objets d'adorable. At last year's Bazaar in the Cyclorama, this Bostonist finished her Christmas shopping in record time, pawed covetously at a purse shaped like a turtle, ran into long lost friends, chatted up the author of a favorite web comic, heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" played on a theremin, and misplaced our friends again in the throngs of craft-hungry shoppers.
On Saturday afternoon, we reconvene in that big round room in the South End, where the usual suspects will be peddling their cleverly-designed and lovingly-crafted wares: My Paper Crane and their plush groceries; Art School Dropout, who strings together vintage flotsam and jetsam into ornate necklaces; Bright Lights Little City's paper lanterns made from paper cocktail umbrellas; Vonica and her baby-animal bags; Coffee Drinker's Pacman-adorned iPod cases and wristbands; Candy Thief's extreme collars and felt-flower brooches; and loud, articulate UtiliTies from Truth Serum Productions.

These in addition to ther fine craftspersons, as well as providers of live entertainment—Clinton J. Conley of local legends Mission of Burma, accomplished thereminist Jonnie Spaceman, Hilken Mancini of Shepherdess (whose bandmate Emily Arkin will be among the vendors), and indierock veteran Mark Robinson, founder of venerable Teenbeat Records, among others.

The Bazaar Bizarre begins at 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon (Saturday December 16) at the Cyclorama (539 Tremont Street) and continues until 5 o'clock. Admission is a mere dollar.

From top: Sliced bread by My Paper Crane at last year's Bazaar; Jonnie Spaceman, with theremin; Chad Walker with Devoted Bee prints.