The Bako Market will be returning after its summer hiatus to Downtown Bakersfield at 9:00 am on Saturday, September 2 at the Mechanics Bank Arena. On Friday afternoon, preparations were well underway.
One of the vendors who will be present at the Bako Market is JuJu's Bakehouse owner Jocyl Tero. Tero started baking as a hobby during the pandemic, showcasing her cakes online. Now, her business has blossomed, and so has her equipment.
"My sister's like, 'Why did you buy this? You don't need this.' So it took me a few months to acquire these," said Tero, showing off her kitchen.
Recently, Tero has expanded her offerings, branching out from cakes to macarons.
"I individually seal them to that they can last longer for our customers," said Tero. "And these are my mango, my raspberry mango."
For small business owners like Tero who don't own a brick-and-mortar storefront, events like the Bako Market are crucial for getting the word out about their business.
"They allow us to establish a connection with the general population, because right now we were, or before then we were just on social media and we were getting word of mouth," said Tero. "But these markets at the farmers markets allow us to have a different kind of different populations."
Bako Market Founder Jasmine Jaime appreciates the variety of businesses and products the market has grown to offer.
"We have a big variety of vendors, and, I mean anywhere from 10-year-olds to retirees. We get them out here and it's so much fun. It's really cool to see what people create, what people develop, what people sell, artists," said Jaime. "I mean, you name it, we have it out here."
As opening day for the market nears, Tero is finishing up her preparations, and though she's out here to make money, there are other benefits that come with doling out her sweet treats.
"It's amazing. I enjoy making things and people enjoying them, and I have a background of doing that even as I was younger," said Tero. "But then when I started making cakes and macaroons, it just fills me up."
The Bako Market returns to Centennial Plaza in front of Mechanics Bank Arena on Saturday, September 2 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
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