Santa Fe Marketplace - Bazaar del Mundo

Some of the Southwest’s finest artists will come together to celebrate their Native American cultures and showcase their wares during Bazaar del Mundo’s Santa Fe Marketplace, Sept. 18 to 20 in Old Town. Guests will enjoy an unforgettable weekend filled with exquisite collections of fine jewelry, art, hand woven rugs, Pendleton blankets and more.

The annual event, held at Diane Powers’ Bazaar del Mundo in Old Town, is San Diego’s prime destination for stunning and authentic Native American jewelry, colorful collectibles, creative fashions and unique home décor.

Returning to this year’s festival, pawn trader Art Quintana will appraise visitors’ fine Indian jewelry and family heirlooms (up to two pieces each). With 30 years in the Native American jewelry business, Quintana’s collection of traditional and contemporary necklaces, bracelets, rings, bolo ties, concho belts, earrings, beadwork and more, present a treasure trove of items he has discovered in pawn shops throughout the Southwest.

The festival is a colorful outdoor marketplace featuring Navajo, Cherokee, Hopi, Pima, Isleta Pueblo and Santo Domingo Pueblo creations, presented by tribe members, along with other noted Southwestern artists demonstrating and selling their wares.

More than 25 artists will be in attendance, including:

  • Circle JW’s Jack Whittaker works with Navajo jewelers to create beautiful silver rings, earrings, necklaces, cuff bracelets and pendants inlaid with turquoise, spiny oyster, sugilite, gaspeite, lapis, onyx and many other gemstones.
  • George Willis incorporates natural elements such as horn, stone and bone into whimsical jewelry and accessories inspired by his Choctaw heritage.
  • John Balloue’s vibrant acrylic and mixed media paintings are held in many private and public collections, including the Cherokee Museum in Tahlequah, Oklahoma; the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC; the SWAIA Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Kim Yubeta uses vintage beads from far-off lands made of turquoise, coral, lapis, spiny oyster, amber, jet and onyx to fashion her necklaces that show in galleries throughout the Southwest.
  • Bernie Granados, Jr., with roots in both the Apache and Zacatec tribes, is a multi-talented artist who works in a variety of mediums – embossed acrylic paintings, watercolor, Prismacolor pencil, wood carvings, ceramic and bronze. His art features beautiful images of horses, buffalo and ancient ancestral figures.

The event runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18-19, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20.