Wedgewood’s International Holiday Bazaar Highlights, Helps Refugee Community

Wedgewood: A Social Justice Community, formerly known as Wedgewood Community Church, will host its annual International Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 1, with this year’s proceeds benefiting Refugee Support Services, where the event will be held. 

The International Holiday Bazaar is a vendor market with deeper meaning, allowing patrons an opportunity to experience other cultures through vendors representing an array of differing nationalities. 

The bazaar is just a piece of Wedgewood’s puzzle, said spokesperson and operations director Liz Schob. 

“We are very much rooted in the principles of what we call our extraordinary welcome, where we embrace individuals from all walks of life and all different faith and non-faith backgrounds,” she said. ”Our mission is to essentially create an inclusive and loving space for everyone to celebrate it and aspire to work towards the common goal of creating a more just and equitable world.”

According to Schob, Wedgewood members come from all walks of life: progressive Christians, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, Jewish members and even pagans. 

The church hosts Sunday services called Wedgewood Talks, with everyday members performing sermons rather than ministers or pastors. Past speakers include NC House Rep-elect Jordan Lopez, local activist Artie Hartsell, and Catawba Nation member and artist Beckee Simmers-Garris.

Wedgewood also hosts a film festival centering social justice. This year’s inaugural event at Independent Picture House featured five documentaries focused on the struggles of Palestinians amid Israeli colonization, which led to impassioned discussions among attendees following each screening. 

“Social justice is very much the core of who we are,” she said. “We find that to be a really uniting factor.”

The bazaar, however, remains the church’s biggest event.

“The bazaar is important because it’s really about supporting the community,” Schob said. “Here at Wedgewood, we really believe in walking our talk and putting our mission into practice.”

Schob explained that the church receives no proceeds from the market and vendors can sign up for free. All benefits this year will go to Refugee Support Services, an organization based in east Charlotte that helps refugees, asylees and other displaced people with legal status—resettle the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

“It’s just about us trying to help the community and raise some funds for the refugee team in the community,” she said. 

In addition to shopping, attendees can expect live music and cultural performances. There will be handcrafted goods for sale and international cuisines.

“It’s part of a great cause,” she said. “This is one of our many ways that we give back.”

Wedgewood’s International Holiday Bazaar is scheduled for Dec. 1 at Refugee Support Services, 3925 Willard Farrow Drive, from noon-4 p.m.