Winter Market Explained
Audrey Smith
A brisk December morning; chilly, but not cold, as are all winter mornings in Southern California. Artisans and students bustle about, one and the same, weaving through a series of stalls. Many are empty -- the market doesn’t open until lunch, anyways. But those that have already been set each display their own unique array of items. One stall holds a variety of metal jewelry, another has candles of all colors and scents. It’s not an ordinary school morning, it’s Winter Market, after all.
Winter Market is, plainly and without contention, the single best event OCSA has. No other event compares. The atmosphere, the opportunity, the products for sale. It’s the single most accessible artisan market that any OCSA student attends. In the middle of the stressful holiday season, trying to juggle finals, buying gifts for family, preparing for any trips made during winter break, Winter Market provides the perfect opportunity to secure a gift for your family and friends or buy yourself a little treat. There are goods at Winter Market which aren't to be found anywhere else, with items from clothing, accessories and jewelry, to ceramics, candles and soaps.
I got the chance to sit down with Caroline Fleet, the vendor coordinator for the event, to ask about the inner workings of Winter Market. They shared that this year there will be 67 booths, and they will be spread throughout the DMS Quad and the driveway adjacent to it. The vendors will be made up of students, teachers, alumni, and even booths dedicated to conservatories (such as Design and Media’s FLIP!).
One question many students wonder is about the pricing; why is everything so expensive? Fleet explained how things are priced. 20 percent of a vendor’s profit goes to the Visual Arts Conservatory, “and then 80% goes back to the vendors.” That 80% must then cover things such as supplies, time, labor, and then also generate a decent profit. Winter Market is the Visual Arts Conservatory's “largest fundraiser of the year” they shared, using the money made from Winter Market “to pay for things like supplies.” VA is the largest conservatory as of the 2025-2026 school year, with over 200 students. Few of the supplies they need are reusable or renewable, so it’s a reasonable cut of the profit.
But what is Winter Market like for the vendors? Do they enjoy it as much as the customer? I interviewed a variety of artisans, from different grades, to different levels of experience, to different goods. Victoria Kim (IA ‘28) shared how stressful it is, expressing how there’s “a constant pressure to be making items in your free time.” She says the biggest mistake she made last year was not making enough stock, and is working to ensure she’ll have enough this year.
Another Winter Market vendor, Dylan Spence (VA ‘26), focuses on what she enjoys about the experience. “I loved being able to connect with other vendors” talking about the “processes, inspirations and hopes” She shared how special the community feels “unlike any other that I've been a part of.”
A new vendor this year, Dane Le (IA ‘28), explained why he decided to participate in Winter Market, wanting to “show (his) creativity” with the keychains he sells. He delves into the process he went through making his felt keychains, each being “cut and sewn individually” taking a lot of time to make each individual one. He says he plans on “creating set amounts of each keychain design each week” building up towards his total goal. He’s said it’s been stressful trying to keep up with the demands of making enough stock, but called it rewarding “once I’m done” with a batch of keychains, saying he feels so much lighter.
But what do these vendors think about Winter Market from a student’s perspective? After all, most of the Vendors have all experienced Winter Market as a customer first, before becoming a vendor. Spence shared she loves Winter Market because “each booth is “special in their own way” with each year being different. She found it exciting to see “what people are passionate about making!” Kim explained Winter Market is “different from typical markets,” with everybody selling stuff “specific to their passion.”
Ultimately, there are few OCSA events that can even hold a candle to Winter Market, and even fewer that are on the same scale. It cannot be overstated what an incredible and enjoyable event Winter Market is. Even if you’re not on the look out for something, you’ll surely find something you love there.
Wondering what all of the hype surrounding the famed annual Winter Market is about? Curious as to how it works? Wanting to be a vendor yourself, but aren’t quite sure what that entails? Click the links below to learn more about the upcoming Winter Market!