Free vending model fuels turnout at Change Labs holiday market
Navajo Times | Krista Allen
Visitors make beaded bracelets and other small crafts inside the Tuba City E-ship Hub during Change Labs’ annual holiday bazaar last week.
By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times
TUBA CITY – By early evening, the cold had settled over Tuba City as smoke from fire pits drifted through the parking lot and families filled the Change Labs E-ship Hub, moving between vendors set up both inside and outside the building.
For dozens of vendors last week, the cold did not blunt the night’s purpose. It was a test of whether small businesses could draw customers without crossing town or state lines.
Change Labs’ holiday bazaar marked the third year Sophia Piestewa has been involved with the event. Now in her second year with Change Labs, Piestewa said the work centers on eliminating vending costs, widening access for small businesses and drawing consistent crowds for sellers.
Piestewa said she first attended as a vendor. The following year, she coordinated alongside a colleague. This year, she helped oversee the largest version yet. All vendor booths were free, a choice she said directly affects who can participate.
“Making sure that we are bringing an opportunity for them not only to be exposed to another economy if they’re not even from Tuba City, but another opportunity just to be in a space like this because a lot of them are not used to this type of environment,” Piestewa said. “Mainly just to grow the Navajo economy. Instead of spending your dollars in the border towns for Christmas, come spend it here.”
To read the full article, please see the Dec. 11, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
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