By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— After putting together a Christmas bazaar at Camp Branch-Saginaw Civic Center last year, Alabaster resident Lori Gulledge decided to give residents another reason to shop.

The Spring Fling Bazaar will make its debut in Pelham May 14 at Venue 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market features everything from games to arts and crafts to jewelry and more.

“I love doing stuff like that,” Gulledge said. “I did the Christmas Bazaar in Alabaster at the Camp Branch. It was pretty successful, so I was like, ‘I’m just going to do another one.’”

Using vendor lists from previous events and farmers markets, Gulledge said she contacted a variety of about 100 merchants. As of April 5, she said she had 21 confirmed vendors, and the space can hold about 50.

Special candied apples, the popular jellies and jams of Pepper Place and baked treats are a few items available through the confirmed vendors, Gulledge said. She said she’s also locked down a couple food trucks and is in the process of confirming others.

“I like going to flea markets and bazaars and things like that,” Gulledge said. “I figured I do it myself. The hardest part is trying to find all the vendors, so I would go to different places.”

She said she is most looking forward to all the fun of the bazaar, and she’s pleased with the variety of vendors she’s already confirmed.

The space she’s using for the Spring Fling Bazaar is larger than the space she used at Camp Branch, so she said she’s also excited to have so much space available to her.

About 500 people stopped by the Christmas bazaar, so Gulledge said she expects to have many more people attend this one. She also added that many people from her last bazaar have already told her they plan on attending the Spring Fling Bazaar.

“A lot of them that came to the Christmas one, they asked me to do it again,” Gulledge said. “They asked if I would do another bazaar different times of the year—do a spring and a summer.”

If the Spring Fling Bazaar is successful, Gulledge said she will continue hosting bazaars throughout the year. Eventually, she said she hopes to open her own warehouse where she can host them.

For more information or for vendor applications, email Lgulledge73@gmail.com.