Third World Bazaar

Posted on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 by KiM

I am still a bit uncertain as to what to post on Sundays, but today I thought I’d do something different because I visited a very interesting place on Friday that I thought I’d share, since I took a ton of photos. It’s called the Third World Bazaar. This bazaar happens every weekend (Fridays – Sundays) in autumn for 7 weeks, beginning Thanksgiving weekend (which is this weekend here in Canada) and ending November 21st. I’ve been trying to go yearly for a few years now and it’s amazing. It’s a huge barn filled with thousands of items from countries all over the world – clothing, purses, furniture, knick-knacks, carpets, jewelry, Christmas decor and much more. The owners buy the majority of the products directly from the artisans and craftsmen in the source countries. This means they get to travel the world seeking out these beautiful hand-crafted products including Morocco, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, Cuba, Thailand and India. I always leave the bazaar with a car full of goodies, and this year was no different. Below are a few photos of my purchases and many photos taken inside the bazaar. If you’re in the Ottawa area, you really must head out to Manotick and visit the Third World Bazaar….and make sure to go with an empty trunk!

I have a thing for punched tin – and Jo does too so I think some of these pieces above will be going in her parcel that I wanted to send out months ago…and maybe that Asian wall art…

I bought these on my second trip out to the bazaar. Yep, I went twice. The first time was too overwhelming and I spent most of the time snapping photos. I think the dragon will be a Christmas present for my nephew. I love the punched tin inlay in the wood vase. PRETTY!

This thing is SO RAD! It’s huge, and made out of recycled tires. It’s from Thailand I think, and in Thailand these bins are used to store garbage. It has holes in the bottom so it could be kept outside and used as a planter. I’ve heard this is also great for storing firewood. I may use mine (when I have space for it indoors) to store blankets. And now for the photos from the bazaar (which are not that great because we arrived at about 6:30/7 pm so there was no natural light)….

  
  
  

Sandra says:

Beautiful, I love punched tin as well!

Random Intent says:

Yay!!!!! Toy store for grown ups! Fun fun and I can even buy more than "only one toy deary." Wheee. Oh. Not in my town? Darn. Well, it was fun shopping vicariously for a moment there! 🙂

Cussot says:

Whoa, thanks, Kim – I know where I'm going to be next Friday …

Oh WOW oh WOW! It would take me a long time to get through all these wonderful things. I'd be stuck in the rugs and carpets for a while, most definitely. I really like your bowl with the concentric ellipses. The little dragon is adorable. Thanks for sharing the market today.

jetty says:

Wow, now I know what heaven looks like!

Lin says:

Kim, you might want to be careful putting blankets in the tire bucket. I used to sell a very similar product made by a fair trade women's co-op in Cyprus and I learned the hard way that unless the inside is sealed in some way, you'll be left with black stains on the fabric. My customers used them to collect recyclables, store firewood, in the garden etc.

Wish I lived in Ottawa right now!

KiM says:

EEEKKK – thanks for the warning Lin! I doubt it's sealed. Hopefully I can seal it (polyurethane maybe?) if I decide to use it for blanket storage

Elena says:

Kim, be also careful with the dragon for your nephew. I bought some of those years ago in Vietnam, and they are filled with pins, not the kind of toy we´re used to have.

Deb says:

Thanks for posting about the bazaar, Kim – I checked it out this past weekend with family when I was in Ottawa and I could have spent hours in there! Maybe next time I will go by myself and stay longer.

Absolutely love your site, keep up the good work!

KiM says:

And thanks for that warning Elena!

Deb, thank you for your comment, as I now don't feel as guilty for having gone to the bazaar TWICE and spent hours there (and a little bit of $$$). 🙂

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