For the 32nd year, the First Coast Cultural Center opened up its Holiday Shoppes to the Ponte Vedra Beach community with this year’s event being held at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall.
The Holiday Shoppes is one of the Center’s major fundraising efforts each year.
“It has been going on for a long, long time, and people really look forward to it,” FCCC Executive Director Donna Guzzo said. “I had a woman tell me earlier today that, ‘you know there are a lot of these popup shops around this time of year, but this is high quality.’”
According to Guzzo, the comment meant a lot, because offering “high quality” items is what they strive to do in order to help set themselves apart and what she believes has made the Holiday Shoppes a unique and lasting event over the past 32 years.
“It’s very upscale, which is what the Ponte Vedra women want,” Guzzo said.
The event is later this year, as it is typically held in November, but finding a venue to host this year was something they were working on late into the process.
However, although it took a little longer to work out the details, getting the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall as the site was something that Guzzo was happy with, as she felt it just seemed like the perfect fit.
“The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall wasn’t available until this weekend, but we figured that’s O.K., we’ll just have the event for the first time in December,” Guzzo said. “It worked out well.”
There were 18 vendors that took part in this year’s event, many of which came in from out of town to participate in the showcase.
“With 18, it really seems like the magic number,” Guzzo said. “Everybody is comfortable, and they have enough space to both setup and walk around.”
A special twist to this Holiday Shoppes, was a display of some of the creative selection from photographer Paula Veloso, whose “Eyes are the Window to the Soul” exhibit made its world premiere at the event.
Veloso’s exhibit will be on display at the First Coast Cultural Center located at 3972 3rd Street in Jacksonville Beach until Dec. 22.
