About the shopping village
Pop-up shops in the heart of our city.
In June of 2022, the Auburn City Council allocated funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for the purchase of six 8' x 10' sheds for the creation of "pop-up shops" in Auburn.
These charming custom sheds, which were built in Maine, were designed to provide retail space for local small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups without "bricks and mortar" shops of their own.
By November, the sheds were in place at Festival Plaza, and a "call for vendors" set things in motion for the first ever "Auburn Christmas Shopping Village," a holiday market based on the traditional European open-air Christmas markets, where vendors sell a variety of goods and gifts.
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The sheds offer electricity, display shelves, and space for vendors and visitors to connect. They are also used for the city's signature events, such as New Year's Auburn, the Auburn Blues & Brews Festival, and the Auburn Lobster Festival.
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In 2023, after a very successful inaugural season, the sheds were relocated to Anniversary Park, just up the road in New Auburn village.