Alumni and student vendors offered everything from handmade goods to food in a celebration of Temple spirit.
Vendor participation nearly doubled this year as alumni and students shared their businesses with the Temple community.
Photo by Christian Angelini
When Joanne Owens Jiggetts, EDU ’86, heard about being able to exhibit at the Temple Made Fest, she thought, “Why not go for it?”
She traveled from her home in Crofton, Maryland, and—with help from her sister—set up a booth to sell her handmade crocheted hats, scarves, stuffed animals and more at Temple’s second annual Temple Made Fest on Saturday, April 18, as 13th Street and Polett Walk on Main Campus was transformed into an outdoor marketplace.
“Crocheting has become a hobby, and I’m thrilled as an alum to have this opportunity,” she said, exhibiting for the first time this year, Owens Jiggetts said.
Owens Jiggetts was one of nearly 100 vendors at the event, which showcased businesses owned and run by Temple alumni and current students. The number of vendors nearly doubled from the inaugural year and featured jewelry, artwork, apparel, books, food and more.
“We are so happy with how the day went,” said Eliza Stasi, STH ’08, associate vice president of alumni engagement, who spearheaded the event sponsored by Temple’s Office of Advancement Engagement. “The incredible turnout of vendors and visitors shows how invested our community is in an event like this, and we hope to see it continue to grow each year. It’s truly designed with our community in mind.”
The festival coincided with the university’s annual Temple Made Days, a spring series celebrating the spirit, resilience and entrepreneurship of the Temple University community. It also followed the launch of the university’s new brand campaign last fall, Real Success is Temple Made.
Admission to the street festival was free and open to the public, drawing alumni, faculty, staff, families and North Philadelphia community members alike.
Alongside alumni and student vendors, the event offered family-friendly activities, including lawn games, a coloring station and a balloon artist. Visitors could also meet K-9 officers from Temple’s Department of Public Safety, enjoy a performance by the Diamond Marching Band and catch an appearance by Hooter.
Like Owens Jiggetts, other alumni vendors enjoyed the opportunity to return to campus to promote their passion projects and businesses. Brittany Angelastro graduated in 2012 with a degree in public health and noted her Temple education has helped in leading her business, Ducks-n-Stuff, that she runs with her mother decorating and personalizing rubber ducks.
“I still use so much of what I learned at Temple in how I run my business and connect with people,” she said.
Deema Alawa, of Mavey Books, an independent bookstore in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, enjoyed participating in the festival. At her table, she featured Temple alum and author Paul Kahan, CLA ’09, who signed copies of his book Philadelphia: A Narrative History, a comprehensive history of Philadelphia from the region’s original Lenape inhabitants to the residents of today.
“We proudly represented Mavey Books at this weekend’s festival with a plethora of different books on romance, mystery, social justice, children’s books, and, of course, a selection of bookmarks and stickers,” said Alawa. “A highlight was having Paul Kahan at our booth who was signing books and sharing tidbits of his Temple time. It was a wonderful event!”
Another alum author, Amelia Griggs, FOX ’84, who studied computer science at Temple, came to the festival from her home in Bucks County. Griggs has authored more than a dozen nonfiction technology books, children’s picture books, and coloring and activity books. She also created the Author Journey Success Toolkit, a series that combines books with training videos and courses for aspiring authors.
“I enjoyed the interactions with everyone, the music and visiting my alma mater,” she said. “It’s so familiar being back here with the memories of the Bell Tower but also exciting to see the changes and new buildings on campus.”