On Wednesday, Chaminade University of Honolulu held an open marketplace and celebration of the arts at the Sullivan Family Library Lawn. The event took place from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and it was a chance for students and local businesses to sell homemade goods and items for their independent causes.

This is the second open marketplace that has occurred on campus. Malia Wong, a senior lecturer in the religious department, was the lead facilitator of the event. The purpose of the event is to promote sustainability through shopping locally. The marketplace also happened to come around at the perfect time. With Mother’s Day and graduation right around the corner, students had the opportunity to pick out the perfect gifts.

Students and faculty gathered on the lawn to view the many different types of items that were on sale. Buyers were able to choose from homemade crochet designs, baked goods, and even “Funko Pops”. Many of the vendors were students here from Chaminade with some faculty selling items as well.

One of those students, Samantha Gibson, was selling handmade ceramic items. She and other students were able to showcase their creations which included bowls, figures, and other assorted items.

“With our booth, this is displaying the student’s hard work from the semester,” the Environmental Studies major and Art minor said. “All the proceeds go back into the studio and all the supplies that we get throughout the semester.

Gail Gabrowsky, the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, was also selling items at the market. Her booth was selling cat-themed items along with beauty products. Gabrowsky runs the “Pono Popoki” project here on campus which neuters kittens and finds homes for them. The proceeds will all go towards the project.

“We’re selling things to help the kittens and cats here on campus,” Grabowsky said. “With the proceeds, we hope to buy cat food and meds to make sure the cats are taken care of.”

Other vendors at the event that were present included small local businesses. A total of three were present, those being Cafe Kana, Taqueria Hawaii, and Luau Bombs. Cafe Kana featured cold drinks such as smoothies made with local fruits. Taqueria Hawaii offered Chinese-influenced Mexican cuisine that had items like bao tacos, quesadillas, and corn tortilla tacos. Luau Bombs gave students a chance to try local cuisine while offering vegetarian options as well.

The event was both enjoyable for the students selling and those looking to buy. John Iose, a fourth-year student here at

Chaminade, appreciated that the school put this event on and thought that it was fun.

“There’s a lot of cool vendors here, I like the inclusivity and diversity among the students,” Iose said. “I was able to pick out some items for myself and some that I’ll be giving to other people.”

Iose hopes that Chaminade holds more of these events so that more students and local businesses can get the exposure they need. The event wrapped up with a short reception and live music, which was played by Ulupuhi Pale, a first-year student here at Chaminade.