The Empire strikes South Kensington
Riot Nerd brings Star Wars Brunch and Bazaar to Buzz Café
By Melissa Komar
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, people would search high and low for memorabilia associated with the cult classic Star Wars series.
Fear not, River Wards residents, for husband and wife duo Kevin and Megan Hawkey have curated a collection of vendors to fulfill all your Star Wars voids and you won’t have to travel to Tatooine to find them.
The Hawkeys’ Philadelphia-based entertainment blog and event planning business will present Star Wars Brunch and Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Buzz Cafe in South Kensington.
From Star Wars chocolates to appearances from R2-D2, the force is strong with this event, so you won’t want to miss it.
Vending applications are still being accepted, but confirmed vendors include NecroFx (Star Wars magnets), The Mighty Oh (Star Wars crocheted figures), Fabric Dragon (Star Wars aprons), Get Yo Geek On (Star Wars pixel art), Little Shop Of Ruckus (Star Wars jewelry) and Chocolates by Kevan (Star Wars chocolates).
With the recent releases of “The Forces Awakens” and “Rogue One,” and “The Last Jedi” hitting theaters on Friday, Dec. 15, the event was a no-brainer.
“Everyone we talk to seems to be really excited about the release of ‘The Last Jedi,’” Megan Hawkey said. “Through conversations with our vendors and Terrence and Jeff at Buzz Café at the last bazaar we did, it kind of sprung up organically and came together really quick.”
Buzz Café, 1800 N. Howard St., is the perfect place to host the upcoming bazaar because of how the owners “definitely ‘get’ the sort of punk/DIY spirit applied to voracious pop culture appreciation that we try to represent with the Riot Nerd Brand,” according to Hawkey.
Aside from custom Star Wars gear, younglings and Jedi Masters alike will have the opportunity to take photos with a life-sized, remote-controlled R2-D2 and life-sized Han in carbonite.
If you’re stopping by for a cup of Joe, Han Solo will be your barista for the day.
And because the holiday season is about giving just as much as getting, donated toys for Toys For Tots will be accepted and collected by Boba Fett during the bazaar.
More surprises await you at the bazaar, so hop on your starfighter and swing by.
Riot Nerd Star Wars Brunch and Bazaar will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Buzz Café, 1800 N. Howard St. All ages welcome and admission is free. Interested vendors should email info@riot-nerd.com. For more details on the event, check out Star Wars Brunch and Bazaar on Facebook.