There was barely room to move inside Wissahickon Brewing Co. on Saturday, April 4th.
Just an hour after Shop Queer Philly’s 11 a.m. opening, the Olde Kensington brewery was already alive with music and shoppers weaving through crowded aisles of vendors selling everything from upcycled terrariums, profane plates, death-metal-inspired pottery to liberatory risographs.
Shop Queer Philly is a recurring market showcasing local queer artists and small business owners. Now in its second pop-up, the market supports queer creators outside of Pride Month while also giving back to other marginalized communities.
Inside, the crowd moved shoulder to shoulder. Attendees sipped matcha or cider while browsing handmade goods. Outside, tents lined the entrance with clothing swaps and crocheted goods, welcoming visitors in and sending them off with one last look at the community-driven marketplace.
Shop Queer Philly was created in 2025 by artist Chloe Tai and their partner Lauren Fortes after the closure of Philly Queer Flea, a pop-up flea market that operated from 2022 to 2023.
According to Fortes, while Philadelphia does have some queer-centered markets, there is still a need for more opportunities.
“The first time we did our market, we were brand new and nobody really knew about us,” Tai said. “This time around, we had over 150 applicants in the first week and only 24 spots.”
For Julia Mieko, the owner of Hello Mieko Handmade, participating in events like Shop Queer Philly means “everything.” Mieko, who sells quilted bags and accessories, says that she spent much of her fashion career in the closet. After she was laid off from her job in textile design last summer, she decided to go all in on her small business.
“It’s markets like that that make me think I can keep this dream going,” Mieko said. “It was a really good sales day, but it was a fun day. Everyone who came by was someone I would want to be friends with. I felt recharged by it. Not every market feels like that.”
The impact of the market was both immediate and long-term for the artist.
“Markets like Shop Queer Philly are how I’m paying my rent right now,” Mieko said. “It’s the first big market of the year … that basically pays for the materials that I’ve been putting out for the past couple months. Now I can move forward with buying more things and feeling secure heading into the rest of spring.”
Beyond monetary benefits, Mieko finds that like-minded events such as Shop Queer Philly help with her business’s visibility long after the market events, as follower numbers increase and follow-up orders roll in.
For attendees, the market reflected the importance of spaces where people can exist openly and safely.
“People are queer all year, and people make art all year, and people need to pay their rent all year,” said shopper Colleen Kutschera. “If events like these were just during Pride Month, it would feel like you’re underground for the rest of the year.”
That sentiment echoed among other visitors. Riley Strong said events like Shop Queer Philly shape how she chooses to spend money.
“We were in there talking about Mother’s Day coming up and getting ideas for stuff to get as gifts around the holidays,” said Strong. “Sometimes we end up committing a sin and buying from a big box store. But we’re always going to local businesses first to get what we can.”
Strong also described how the event offered something harder to measure than sales: a sense of belonging.
“It’s just so cool to see everybody out, expressing themselves in different ways, and seeing the range of people who would want to come and be a part of something like this,” Strong said. “We live in a city where it’s mostly safe for us to be out and proud, but it’s nice to be in a space where it’s like, oh, I can talk openly about having a wife, and it’s safe and good.”
Tai and Fortes say that they hope to sustain this kind of positive momentum. The couple plans to keep vendor costs low and make the market accessible while continuing to highlight new talent. Looking ahead, Fortes plans to make Shop Queer Philly “bigger, better, queerer, safer” while keeping it community-led.
The market also featured a resource table hosted by Juntos, an immigrant-rights organization. Many vendors donated art for a giveaway and raised $1,250 in donations for the South Philly-based nonprofit.
“I think it’s important to not only make sure that our vendors make money and succeed, but we also give back to the community and to folks who need it,” Fortes said. “We need to be each other’s champions.”
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