Pop-up events highlight home-based businesses

With the pandemic still in the forefront of the community's minds, there has been a surge of home-based businesses to help supplement people's incomes.

These businesses help replace lost income due to layoffs or a reduction of hours.

Pop-up events have become popular in the community, with a host of different businesses offering their homemade baked goods, clothing, jewelry and accessories at events held in a parking lot, at a church, or at someone's home.

Last weekend, Adriana Pompa, operator of Pompa's Small Shop, held a pop-up event at her home, hosting around 15 other local vendors.

Pompa, who was featured in the Shafter Press a couple of weeks ago, had vendors from throughout Kern County with booths, including businesses from Shafter, Wasco, and the surrounding areas including a family from McFarland who were selling jewelry and accessories.

Haley Plaza, who was featured in last week's edition, was there with her homemade breads, muffins, and bread dips made from olive oil and a variety of herbs and oils.

Other vendors included Alyssa's Pyrography, which sells wooden items with a variety of sayings, pictures, and faces ranging from plaques to key chains. Alyssa Garcia had on display a wooden plaque with a picture of her dog on it.

At the event, there was also food for sale, as well as tie-dyed shirts, purses, homemade soaps, scrubs, and earrings, natural nail polish applicators, and homemade lip gloss.

Veronica Carmona, a vendor from McFarland, was selling Western-style jewelry with a variety of turquoise and silver trinkets, as well as bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Carmona, who used to work at the Boot Barn in Bakersfield, said that she decided to start the business because she loves jewelry and it gives her time to spend with her family as well as make money doing something that she enjoys.

"We have been doing great and it is a lot of fun, operating a business with my family," said Carmona.

With more and more people reluctant to venture into Bakersfield to shop, fighting traffic, crowds, and the necessity of exposure to large groups of people, these pop-up events are gaining in popularity for residents who are making a living with a home-based business.

You can visit the Instagram accounts of some of the businesses involved in these pop-up events for updates and locations of future events, including Pompa's Small Shop, Haley Plaza's Handmadeinahome, as well as Val's Lip Gloss at vals.lipgloss, and Pyrography at @alyssa.pyrography.