Chicago's small businesses stay on theme at DNC fair with Kamala Harris-inspired nails and clothing

More than 75 Chicago area vendors — from candlemakers and coffee shops to the Shedd Aquarium and the American Writers Museum — were at McCormick Place on Tuesday to showcase the city's diverse economic and cultural offerings.

The four-day vendor fair called "DemPalooza" is free and open to the public until Thursday. It includes training sessions, discussion panels and other programming as part of the Democratic National Convention.

Small businesses were also on hand selling their wares and promoting their brand.

Sip & Savor gave out free iced coffee samples from its pop-up cafe. The company operates five cafes in Chicago, including in Bronzeville, Hyde Park and South Loop.

“We’re more than just coffee. People love what we do,” Sip & Savor owner and CEO Trez Pugh III said. It offers financial literacy classes, mental health services and works with unhoused people, veterans and the disabled.

“A lot of people knew about us already,” Pugh said. But being at DemPalooza gave him an opportunity to talk to people from Los Angeles, New York and Texas. Plus, there was the excitement of being at the DNC, where Vice President Kamala Harris is to be the first Black and South Asian woman to become the Democratic presidential candidate.

“The last time I felt like this was when Obama did it,” Pugh said. “It’s electric."

Tonia Evans displayed copies of her children’s book, "The Purple Turtle," along with toys and dolls, including one of Harris. “This is history in the making,” Evans said. “Just to be part of this moment is very heartfelt.”

Angelique Chatman had sold about 25 of her handmade scented candles, which cost $15 to $30. Chatman founded Anjoli Candle Co. in 2020 from her home in Beverly after she was laid off from her accounting job. Since then her business has grown. She also found a full-time accounting position so now she has two jobs.

Chatman, who displayed a Harris-inspired candle with a coconut scent called "Chucks and Pearls," said the expo “is an amazing opportunity for us. We are able to get our products in front of people we wouldn’t get to sell to."

“We feel the energy and excitement,” she said of the convention, as music blasted through the expo hall.

In addition to shopping, DemPalooza attendees can learn about grassroots organizing tools like the Reach mobile app and join polling briefings and skills-building workshops. The activities are part of efforts by the DNC to organize and reach voters.

Thad Smith, founder and head beekeeper of Westside Bee Boyz, harvests and sells bee-made products like honey at farmers markets and community events on the West Side. Smith brought live bees to the DNC, and jovially spouted bee facts to everyone stopping by his booth.

When asked how he ended up at the DNC, Smith said he wasn’t sure: “I guess the universe loves me.” He received an email invite that he believes came from a connection he made at a local farmers market.

Vendor fair organizer Alex Sims-Jones, who owns the public relations firm APS & Associates in Chicago, said when she worked on Barack Obama’s campaign, staff couldn’t match the excitement on the streets. Vendors made unofficial T-shirts faster than the team could print the official merchandise.

“That’s the sign of a good campaign — when you can’t keep up with the community,” Jones said.

The businesses included in the expo extend far beyond T-shirts. The majority don’t advertise any sort of direct connection or official political affiliation.

Smith said he’s not political. “I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democrat,” he said. Smith said he ultimately agreed to the invite because of the exposure to himself and his business. “I’m a Black beekeeper,” said Smith. “There are people in this country that don’t even know we freaking exist.”

Expecting crowds

Designer Peter Gaona sold about 60 pins depicting Harris in bright pink and green hues for $16. The shades reflect the official colors of Harris' sorority, the Alpha Kappa Alpha, which is among a group of historically Black sororities and fraternities commonly known as the “Divine Nine.”

Gaona, owner of accessory and decor company Reformed School in Bronzeville, also displayed greeting cards, shirts, sweaters and pillows with striking silhouettes. The possibility of Harris being the first Black female president is inspiring, Gaona said. “She is saying to girls and women to make their voices heard and maybe one day they will throw their hat in the ring as well.”

Graphic designer Imanuel Basley was busy printing T-shirts with images of Harris for a long queue of customers. Basley, owner of The Print Lounge in Pilsen, sold nearly 100 T-shirts, at $25 each, and expects Thursday to be “super busy.”

The expo, which started Monday, allowed people from across the country to peruse Chicago-made products, including two delegates from Nebraska.

Kathy Jensen, 71, drove eight hours from Nebraska to Chicago to attend the convention. The retired teacher from a rural town with a population of 740 said being at the DNC is “wonderful, so powerful. I’m not as depressed as I was.”

Lacey Merica, a delegate from Omaha, said she was “excited as a younger adult to see the new generation stepping up and running for office.” Merica, 41, showed off friendship bracelets that covered her wrist.

The expo included a space to make friendship bracelets, get a Kamala Harris-inspired manicure, listen to a podcast recording and watch performances.

DemPalooza will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Thursday at McCormick Place. The entrance is near 24th Street and Indiana Avenue. Some DemPalooza events require the public to RSVP; the vendor fair is open without prior registration.

Contributing: Mike Davis of WBEZ