Welcome to the BAZAAR Blog: A Local Love Letter in Progress

Hi, I’m Jake Browne. You might know me from my time at the Denver Post/Westword, from Magic: The Gathering (less likely), or taking photos of you at a BAZAAR while feeling slightly creepy because I don’t have a shirt on that says, “STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER.”

When I joined the team behind Denver BAZAAR, it wasn’t to make another events page or listicle that gets lost between yoga studios and bottomless brunches. The goal was to create something a little different: a space that captures what it actually feels like to be in Denver right now. The markets. The people. The small creative sparks that make this city feel like it’s still inventing itself, even after spending my last 23 years here.

That’s what this blog is about.

Jake Browne with Sam Taylor (left) and Chowdy Doody (center) from the ill-fated Chowdermeister.

Why We’re Doing This

Most market blogs just tell you when to show up and what to buy. That’s fiiiiiine, but we wanted to pull the curtain back. Who are the makers? What’s it like to build something from scratch in a city that’s growing faster than anyone planned for? How do we make local feel cool/bussin’ again, without turning it into a hashtag?

Yes, we’ll cover the big events (obligatory plug for this weekends’ Fall BAZAAR at Belleview Station) like our holiday markets and podcast festivals and more. But also the people who make them worth showing up for. You’ll meet the candle pourers, the vintage hunters, the food truck chefs who have somehow figured out how to serve gourmet food from a space the size of a walk-in closet.

We want this blog to feel like walking through the market with an Astro Coffee in hand, talking to the person next to you about the booth you just “discovered.”

What You Can Expect

Some posts will be practical: event previews, shopping guides, maybe a few recipes or playlists that fit the season. Tomorrow, I’m giving away a family recipe that my mom better not ever see. Others will be the type of longform stories I’ve been writing for the last decade. Personal essays and interviews about what it’s like to build a business in Denver, to sell those pungent cheese sandwiches (you know the ones) outside in 98-degree weather, or to run a market that somehow survives a hailstorm.

We’ll share behind-the-scenes looks at how these events come together, the small wins and weird moments that never make it to our IG.

And occasionally, I’ll get a little reflective. About what it means to build community in a city that’s always changing. About why “shop small” isn’t just a slogan we slap on tote bags, but a quiet rebellion against internet shopping culture.

A Blog About People, Not Just Pop-Ups

At its heart, Denver BAZAAR has always been about connection. Every market is a web of tiny introductions. Someone buys a framed snake skeleton, chats with the maker, learns their story, and suddenly that brand isn’t just a product anymore. It’s part of their home.

That’s what we’re documenting here. The relationships, the craft, the way a neighborhood block can turn into a living thing when you fill it with music and makers and good Colorado beer.

Thanks for Being Here

If you’ve ever walked through one of our markets and thought, this feels like Denver, you already get it.

This blog is an invitation to stick around between events. To peek behind the booth. To see the humans behind the hustle.

Grab a drink, scroll a little, and welcome to the BAZAAR Blog.

Jake