Discovery Center

Giving Marketplace

Holiday Gifts That Give Back

Friday, December 6, 2024 - Saturday, December 7, 2024

Don’t miss the holiday-giving event of the season! At the Discovery Center’s annual Giving Marketplace, you can support a good cause while shopping for everyone on your list.

Find unique gifts from over 35 vendors with the proceeds supporting immigrants and refugees, women and girls, global health, education, the environment, and much more. Enjoy family-friendly holiday activities and performances, then discover ways to take action on issues you care about.

No RSVP is required, but you can join and share the event on Facebook.

Event Schedule

Live Music

Friday | 11 a.m – 1 p.m.
Sol de Noche Tango band plays a repertoire focused on Argentine Tango and folkloric dance music from South America, including tango, boleros, valses, milongas, candombes, zambas and chacareras. The core of the band is a duo Mirta Wymerszberg on flute, vocals and bandoneon and Sebastian Quintero on guitar.

Friday | 3 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. & 4 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. 

Seattle-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Sheryl Wiser has crafted a soulful and uniquely compelling style, combining soulful and rootsy Americana, blues, jazz and folk. Sheryl performs through her philanthropic house concert series Pie + Persistence, which has raised over $100,000 for 30+ non-profits in the U.S. and globally.

Saturday | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Mountlake Terrace High School Jazz Quartet will perform again this year! 

Saturday | 2 – 4 p.m. 

Kenyan-American singer-songwriter Naomi Wachira is known for her soulful and powerful vocals, poignant lyrics, and captivating live performances. 

Activities

PEOPLE AND PET PORTRAIT PAINTING 
Friday & Saturday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Cathy Wu is an Asian American illustrator and designer creating a world of playful characters. Along with a whimsical line of cards and stationery, she draws live pen-and-ink portraits of people and pets. She loves telling stories and her debut children’s book is Popo & Meimei Can Help

Reminder: Please plan to bring a photo (on your phone or printed) for the artist to use. No animals, other than service animals are allowed. Thank you!

CARD MAKING 
Friday | 10 a.m – 5 p.m. 

First Aid Arts hosts a complimentary card-making station. Have fun creating beautiful gift cards you can pair with the amazing items you purchase at the Giving Marketplace! 

JUNKYARD JEWELS: CREATIVE JEWELRY MAKING 
Saturday | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

In this hands-on jewelry activity led by Seattle ReCreative, you’ll discover the art of transforming everyday objects into wearable masterpieces. Breathe new life into items that might otherwise end up in landfills! For families with children 5+. 

2024 Vendors

African Print Takeover African art prints

Art

African Print Takeover

We curate cultural awareness fashion shows that celebrate diverse cultural expressions through fashion, showcasing traditional and contemporary styles often incorporating African prints and textiles. In addition to the fashion shows, we conduct journaling workshops, create African-inspired art, and sell products like clothing and accessories, with 10 percent of our sales supporting women entrepreneurs. 

multi-colored Ajiri Tea boxes stacked up on display

Food & Drink

Ajiri Tea Company

Ajiri Tea Company creates jobs for Kenyan women by hiring them to craft unique tea labels from banana tree bark. All profits go to support school fees for orphans in Western Kenya. 

Amrita Seattle vendor table to brightly colored wares

Gifts

Amrita-Seattle

Live to serve at-risk children and youth globally in U.S., India, and Nepal through education, healthcare, safe water, and awareness. 

Woven tote bag and pouch in cred and orange being help up by a woman with a blue background.

Accessories & Apparel

Awamaki

Awamaki collaborates with Quechua artisans in Peru, creating programs to grow women-led cooperatives through heritage textiles, market access, and sustainable tourism. 

notecard with a dove and olive branch image on the cover

Gifts

BaMatooke Made

BaMatooke Made creates biodegradable greeting cards to promote sustainable and lasting change in the lives of women and vulnerable children in Uganda. Each purchase funds small businesses and academic scholarships. 

Large fish art print on a wall in a stone colored room.

Art

Baya Haus

Baya Haus, where ancient art forms are preserved and celebrated through archival prints. Sourced directly from local artisans, each piece captures the details and cultural significance of these works. Every print purchased with Baya Haus delivers 10 meals to children in underprivileged communities. 

Three coffee bags with a "Black Coffee Northwest" black mug in front.

Food & Drink

Black Coffee Northwest

Black Coffee Northwest is more than just a cafe but a space that offers and highlights youth development and black creations. From the wide range of programs to the delicious coffee we strive to provide a healing environment where people can make their spirit and soul happy! 

various goods on display outdoors on a white sheet

Gifts

Chiapas Education Project

Purchasing these items, which reflect the rich cultural heritage of Mexico through traditions, colors, and handcrafted arts, helps support the Chiapas Education Project. This non-profit organization is dedicated to reducing electronic waste and expanding access to technology for underserved communities. 

Black zipped hoodie on a white background.

Apparel

El Centro de la Raza

Founded in 1972 after a peaceful and multiracial occupation of the historic Beacon Hill School building in Seattle, El Centro de la Raza (The Center for People of All Races) is a voice and a hub for the Latinx community in King County. It provides 43 programs and services to children, youth, families and seniors and works to achieve social justice. 

Gifts & Stationery

First Aid Arts

First Aid Arts teaches beautifully strategic arts-based tools for mental and emotional health. 

Library inspired gifts arranged with a black background

Books & Gifts

Friends of the Seattle Public Library

Founded in 1941, The Friends of The Seattle Public Library have continuously evolved to support a world-class, inclusive library system by sponsoring diverse programs, enhancing facilities, providing volunteers, and collaborating with other civic groups. 

Woman holding up a blanket across her back

Gifts & Apparel

Friends of WPC Nepal

Friends of Women’s Protection Center (WPC) Nepal seeks to prevent human trafficking as well as protect and empower at-risk women and children through awareness programs, education scholarships, job training and the Safe Home. 

Hawo Arts artist sits at a table full of various art pieces for sale.

Art

Hawo Arts

Hawo Ali is a Seattle artist who immigrated from Somalia. As a working artist and an avid collector of Somalian cultural artifacts for many years, her dream is to open a Somali Museum in Seattle. 

IRC tables at the Giving Marketplace in the Discovery Center

Gifts

IRC Seattle Economic Empowerment Program

The IRC is a non-profit refugee resettlement agency, we welcome refugees and help them rebuild their lives in WA State. The IRC Economic Empowerment Program works to support refugee and immigrant clients in rapidly establishing financial stability, as well as growing generational wealth through upward economic mobility and increased financial resilience. We are proud to help refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs succeed and thrive in the US business context and contribute to the economic development and growth of our neighborhoods across the Puget Sound area. 

Gifts

Kidz Positive

Kidz Positive is an income generation project that provides means for mothers and caregivers of children affected by HIV/AIDS to make a living. Each week, individuals employed by Kidz Positive take home the raw materials they need to produce beautiful beaded jewelry, lanyards, and greeting cards. 

Gifts

MADE51 and USA for UNHCR 

USA for UNHCR is proud to present MADE51, an initiative by the UN Refugee Agency. MADE51 features products crafted by refugee artisans, providing them with opportunities to earn an income and in doing so, the chance to establish their economic independence, sustain artistic traditions and culture. 

a purple scarf wrapped around a mannequin torso on a white background

Gifts & Apparel

Mexican Handmade Collective

Mexican Handmade Collective represents the great culture and richness of Mexico. Each piece infuses Mexican traditions, colors, and customs through its art, and handcrafted jewelry, clothing, and home decor offerings. 

Stack of books with spines toward the camera and a blue and white background.

Books

Mountaineers Books

Mountaineers Books is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Seattle-based publisher with over 700 outdoor recreation, lifestyle, and conservation titles. Your book purchase allows us to extend our reach to new communities; publish high-quality, ambitious projects; champion emerging authors; and create books in an environmentally sustainable way.  

Gold necklaces on a back background

Ornaments & Jewelry

Otra Vez

Using a mix of vintage, sustainable, and new materials, Otra Vez creates unique functional art. They employ, equip, and empower local women artisans, giving them the opportunity to learn business, language, and life skills. 10% of their net proceeds are also donated to Women for Women International. 

Playing cards on a table

Gifts

Papaya Project

Papaya Project offers comprehensive, queer-centered sexuality education and resources. Through workshops and their new card game – Come Again?! – they create opportunities for people to explore topics of identity, sexuality, relationships, and pleasure in a fun, consent-based, and shame free way. 

artist standing with artwork

Art

Path with Art

Path with Art fosters the restoration of individuals, groups, and society from the effects of trauma, through arts engagement and community building. 

Image of a woman wearing a large beige wrap and stiped tote bag

Accessories & Apparel

Radical Grandma Collective

RadGram strengthens community-driven movements to defend and restore their rights and ecosystems. By directing resources, facilitating learning, and supporting community enterprise, we aim to heal economies, environments, and social ties frayed by ecological and social injustices of extractive industry. 

Silver tote bag on a grey background

Gifts & Apparel

Refugee Artisan Initiative

Refugee Artisan Initiative empowers refugee and immigrant women with artisan skills training and micro-business development for a successful transition to the US. Expect to see upcycled ornaments, jewelry, kitchen goods, coffee burlap items, and messenger bags made from recycled materials. 

Various pottery and canisters in coast salish designs

Art & Gifts

Sacred Circle Gifts & Art

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation is a private nonprofit corporation that was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1970. Our Mission is to provide educational, cultural and social services that reconnect Indigenous people in the Puget Sound Region to their heritage by strengthening their sense of belonging and significance as Native people. 

Various books on a grey stone background

Books & Gifts

Salaam Cultural Museum

Salaam Cultural Museum is dedicated to increasing the awareness and understanding of the cultures, history, and people in and around the Middle and Near East, and North Africa. 

Kombucha bottle in a crate of apples with a Christmas elf

Drinks

Seeking Ferments

Seeking Ferments is a pioneering force in the world of mindful nourishment. Driven by a passion for community empowerment and sustainability, they have embarked on a mission to transform the way we enjoy beverages. Crafting an array of gut-healthy fermented drinks such as kombucha, tepache, switchels, and more. 

snow leopard ornaments

Ornaments & Gifts

Snow Leopard Trust

Snow Leopard Trust works to understand and protect the endangered snow leopard, in partnership with local communities. You can support their work by making a symbolic adoption or buying handmade wool ornaments and gifts crafted by women living in the snow leopard range. 

Candle in a black jar with flowers in a brown glass vase behind it

Candles

Spír Candle Co.

We exclusively employ young men with periods of incarceration to make our candles — providing jobs, mentorship, and a space to breathe so they can have the best opportunity to become who they aspire to be.  

Art

TASWIRA

TASWIRA is a contemporary art gallery and cultural hub dedicated to showcasing fine art from the African diaspora, while also fostering cultural narratives, artist development, and community engagement through diverse programming. 

Tilth products on display in kraft paper packaging.

Food & Gifts

Tilth Alliance

Tilth Alliance collaborates with Washington’s farming and gardening communities to build a sustainable and equitable food future. Tilth Alliance focuses on organic and regenerative practices, using farms, gardens, and kitchens as inclusive classrooms to cultivate ecologically sound, economically viable, and culturally appropriate food practices. 

Gifts

UKUSH Handmade

UKUSH Handmade offers fairtrade beautiful hand-dyed, handwoven accessories from Guatemala. We work directly with the artisans to produce bamboo and cotton scarves and wraps, jewelry, ornaments, plus bags using repurposed traditional Mayan women’s blouses. For over 20 years, we’ve been creating striking contemporary items of the highest quality. 

Gifts

Unkitawa

Unkitawa is the Lakota word that embodies the concept that what belongs to us each individually equally belongs to all things. The organization is a group of dedicated people who come together to heal and educate Indigenous peoples through culture and tradition and to protect and heal the Earth for the benefit of all. 

Colorful striped soap bars piled together on a white background

Food & Gifts

Ventures Marketplace

Ventures works to strengthen well-being and economic mobility through business education, incubation, and capital for individuals from underrepresented communities.

Drinks

Water 1st & Water from Wine

Water1st builds community-scale projects consisting of household-level piped water systems and hygienic toilets, which end the walk for water for women and girls, improve health, and create opportunities for education and employment. 

Water from Wine is a nonprofit organization that operates a vineyard and winery in Washington state and donates revenue to organizations working to ensure that communities around the world have consistent access to clean water. 

Books on a shelf

Gifts

Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific American Experience

Wing Luke Museum’s mission is to advance racial and social equity by connecting people to the history, cultures, and art of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Their Marketplace sources from over 100 small businesses to support the museum’s exhibitions and youth programs. 

Black woman smiling weraing a bright blue and black printed dress with a white sunny background.

Apparel

Zuri

Zuri is an ethical fashion brand dedicated to developing textiles across the continent and partnering with ethical manufacturers in Kenya. Their mission is to provide versatile clothing options for women while fostering job creation for a sustainable economic future in East Africa.  

Interested in joining us as a vendor for 2025?

Our vendor spots are officially closed for 2024, but if you’re interested in joining us for 2025 and meet the criteria below, please fill out our survey.

  • Can commit to both full days of the event 
  • Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have a charitable mission 

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