(mellow dance music) As the end of the year approaches, the holidays are in full swing, and this season, Americans are expected to spend a record amount of money with the National Retail Federation predicting an average of $902 per person, much of that on gifts.

While the NRF says 57% of shoppers will purchase online, this Future of Work holiday segment will step into a freight house, not to crunch numbers, but to hear how the Ypsilanti Artisan holiday market went from one woman's idea to help her neighbors during the pandemic to an annual community holiday destination.

This is the market organizer, Angela Scott.

- It was the fall of 2021.

We were still in COVID, obviously.

And I was out walking my dog in the neighborhood, and I bumped into a neighbor.

She was having some economic troubles.

All of the craft shows that she did to supplement her retirement income had been canceled, and she was kind of hurting.

And bumped into another neighbor, she wasn't even looking forward to Christmas.

She was tired of buying online, she was tired of the atmosphere.

And I just thought, "I wonder if we can do a European style holiday market."

I thought out in the park, we'll have some tents, it'll just be something.

And I talked to the city, and they gave me the use of this venue, because all of their events were canceled too.

I thought, "This is gonna be a one and done.

We're gonna get through COVID, we're never gonna do this again."

My husband said, "You're gonna have a second job."

I'm like, "No, it's a one and done."

And here we are on our fourth year, and it's become an annual event.

- [Narrator] The market is free to attend and hosts 40 plus independent vendors.

- When we put out the call for vendors, we don't charge for the table.

You have to live in the city or you have to live in the township, and that's our requirement.

We try to cram as many people in here as possible so that we can highlight the city, because we have this incredibly vibrant community.

And it's not just the craft community, it's the brick and mortar stores, it's the restaurants, it's the vibe.

- [Narrator] To catch the vibe, we spoke to a few vendors.

- The business name is Donum Ex Machina.

It's Latin for Gift from the Machine.

I 3D print all kinds of fun stuff.

Animals, dragons.

My fidgets are one of my biggest things.

I went with the fidgets because, you know, having been diagnosed with ADHD 30 plus years ago, these are things I wish I had growing up.

So being able to be in a place without all the overhead of a physical location, and just having a constant stream of people during the thing is super helpful.

- I mainly do crochet and beaded accessories and home decor.

I kind of just started getting into making plushies.

I just love being out in the community, seeing people's faces, being able to talk to customers face to face and making connections with different people.

Not only people who are customers buying goods, but also other vendors.

- [Narrator] Representing one of the nonprofits that participate in the market is Mibrak Tewolde of the Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County.

- One of the programs that I work for is MED program, Micro Enterprise Development.

And that's where we help refugee entrepreneurs start their own business, help them with financial access, financial literacy classes, and so many other marketing and other trainings.

- [Narrator] Jacqueline Imani is a refugee in the program.

- I made the aprons, the mittens, the baskets.

From my background, back in Africa, we used to have such programs by United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

They trained us, like me personally, in most of these products.

I do them, and when I came here, I got into this program.

Yeah, it has helped me to make some money.

- [Narrator] Diane Johnson's QuirkyCat Designs was born out of the pandemic just like the market.

- I make everything from diaper bags to backpacks, tote bags, laptop cases.

I am a vegan, cruelty-free designer.

I have gone from not knowing how to sew anything but face masks to selling to people all over the world.

When you finally get out here and meet people and get to show off what you spent the year making and people appreciate it, to me, that's what makes this market special.

- [Narrator] As the market progresses through its fourth year, Angela reflects on what her idea and labor of love has become.

- It has been, I think, something that we all look forward to, but it's also something that I think is supportive of all of us.

It's good to see everybody.

When people walk in here and they go, "What a great building, what a great event," that makes my day.