On April 19th, Dublin High School hosted the first ever Spring flea market in the quad, bringing together local small businesses and student clubs in an afternoon filled with music, food, and hand-crafted souvenirs.
The event drew a sizable crowd, with community members from all over Dublin stopping by to participate. The local business vendors included Navis’ Sweetzzzz, which provided lemonade in highly coveted mason jars, and Serendipity, a student-run small business that sells handmade accessories such as bracelets and phone charms. There were also many student clubs, including the Filipino American Student Union and Dublin High Girls4Sports.
Many of the vendors were excited to see the amount of students who came out for the event. As Maegha Ramanathan, founder of Girls4Sports, noted: “”It’s great to be able to see the Dublin community come together to support small businesses and clubs for the greater good.”
The market-goers overwhelmingly agreed, with one DHS student, Vanessa Chang, commenting, “I think it’s really nice to see small businesses have a platform.” In recent years, the only other event at Dublin High like the Spring Market was the Winter Boutique– but the success of the Boutique has prompted many to call for even more markets and fairs.
In addition to looking to promote their clubs, many of the student vendors at the market were there to support charity. DHS HOSA, the DHS Biomedical Academy’s flagship club, was at the market fundraising for the San Francisco Autism Society. Students Sophia Wang, Shefali Prasad, Tiffany Lai, and Savya Agarwal planned the fundraising event hoping to raise money for the San Francisco volunteer-led charity which supports local families with autism and works to expand opportunities for young adults with autism.
Baking for a Cause, another DHS club, was at the market supporting Feeding America, a non-profit network of 200 food banks across the country. Besides raising money for charity, DHS junior and club president Scarlett Shiu notes, “baking for a cause provides students at this school who may not have the opportunity or resources to be baking at home to bake in the classroom and have fun with each other.”
Speaking of having fun, the warm spring ambiance just wouldn’t be complete without live music. Local student band, 5.25, was up on the quad’s stage playing a set list that featured hits such as “Don’t Worry” by Bob Marley and local favorites such as “over u” by late spring, a band from DHS. Featuring lead singer Anaia (last name to be added), the band played many songs by Asian or mixed-Asian artists such as Jeremey Passion, Laufey, beabadoobee, and Grent Perez, reflecting not only the heritage of the lead singer herself but of many of the students at Dublin High School.
Overall, the market was a success for both the vendors and the participants– Community members got to enjoy an evening of good food, good music, and good fun, and vendors got their “flowers”, the gratitude of the community, in the best way possible, all while raising money for charity and supporting young musicians. Hopefully, this new Dublin High tradition will continue for years to come.
