Janelle King’s 2nd Saturday Artisan Market has ended; Here’s what she plans instead

Next month is the 10th anniversary of the Workroom, which not only was a new retail outlet for the city a decade ago but the launchpad of one of the most ubiquitous businesswomen in Wichita.

Janelle King said that “small business is no easy feat” even without a pandemic.

To make it a decade, she said, “It’s a little unbelievable, even for me.”

With her anniversary, King is making some changes.

While she has a lot of celebrations planned, there’s also an ending. Her 2nd Saturday Artisan Market is over after nine seasons.

April normally is when the market would kick off.

In addition to being “a ton of work to put on,” King said she’d intended the market to provide a platform for artisans who weren’t showcased elsewhere.

“Now, it feels like there’s another market or something comparable every weekend . . . which didn’t exist in Wichita when I started doing those,” King said.

She said she feels like she’s competing for customers and vendors and is “working twice as hard for a lower impact.”

So instead, King is having a number of parties and events in April, some of which she hopes become annual traditions.

Along with lots of deals and giveaways in the store, King is hosting a five-course meal with neighboring Viola’s Pantry, a sip-and-paint workshop with her Artist Lounge neighbor, a free birthday patio party April 14 and a finale festivity on April 29 with a number of food and drink experiences and “different fun surprises around every corner.”

There will be artists performing, and King is bringing back a lot of people whose own stories launched at the Workroom.

Each event except for the April 14 party will require a ticket, which is something new King is trying. Tickets go on sale April 1.

King said in addition to being someone who always is looking for what’s new, the parties are about celebrating “surviving through what has been — how many times have we used the words? — unprecedented times.”

Mostly, she said, it’s about “how proud I am to be able to claim 10 years.”