A market for Indonesian crafts & culture in an annual show, sale & celebration set in Philadelphia. Online Market for Indonesian Handcrafts & Treasures
Philadelphia, PA
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Annual Show & Sale of Indonesian Handcrafts & Treasures
“Pop-up” in Philadelphia, and travel halfway around the world
Philadelphia’s most visionary commercial districts encourage temporary visiting rentals, or “pop-ups”, to add liveliness and new customers to the neighborhood. Laura Cohn has long relied on this formula for the success of her visiting holiday show, From Bali to Bala. Starting in 1996, she hosted her purchases of Indonesian handcrafts in her Bala Cynwyd home, giving the show its name. After eight years of increasing popularity, she was spurred to explore other options. She never wanted a year-round store or to offer online sales, so the “visiting” approach seemed perfect for her.
For the next four years, she occupied sites in Manayunk near her home. Then, in 2010, she decided to survey the Philadelphia region for another busy commercial district that had lots of foot traffic, strong business support, and was open to short term rentals. Chestnut Hill, and its Germantown Avenue retail district, provided the best for her, so that year she rented the former Magarity Car dealership halfway down the hill. This brightly-lit space and 15-foot-tall glass windows provided an ideal showroom for her dazzling displays of Indonesian wares. Since then, her landlord, the Chestnut Hill Business Association, and the local community have supported her return each year for the holiday season. She feels fortunate to have found large, interesting venues for the past eight years, enabling her to bring exotic Indonesia to the neighborhood for two months each time.
