Staff want to bring the thrift store back to its roots
WabiSabi calls itself a “thrift store and much more.” The nonprofit functions as a thrift store, but also donates money—$1.8 million total since its founding 20 years ago—to its local nonprofit partners. Wabi has gone through significant change recently as it begins the hunt for a new building (it’ll have to vacate its current location in early 2025). But Juliette Rousseau, the thrift store’s administrative assistant and event organizer, said she is trying to bring Wabi “back to our roots.”
To do so, WabiSabi is trying something new: on Saturday, October 28, it’ll host its first annual Fall Festival. The party will “collaborate with community partners and bring everyone together,” Rousseau said.
The event will fill the store’s parking lot with vendors, activities, and live music. On the spirited Saturday, staff will set up a stage to host local bands Toni Sicola & the Black Hats, the Nanites, and Meander Cat. There will also be karaoke hosted by Chris Ross. In classic Wabi fashion, the stage was rescued from the Red Rock’s Music Fest’s storage unit, which otherwise was set for the dumps.
A costume-making booth, and competition, is the highlight of the gathering—prizes for the costume contest include Wabi gift cards. Other activities include face painting, rock art, and model train creation; there will also be local vendors like 98 Center, which will serve cocktails. The event is free, and Wabi is asking attendees to bring nonperishable food donations for the store’s Thanksgiving dinner event.
This festival is just one part of a vision that Executive Director Leah Bear is hoping to bring to light. She’s been at the helm since September 1, 2022, using her background in therapy and experience in retail sales in Germany to run WabiSabi.
“I realized that Moab is home, and I wanted to serve the underserved population in a community setting,” she said.
Bear has a few other events in the pipeline: WabiSabi will host its annual Thanksgiving dinner, back in full swing after being in flux throughout the COVID pandemic. Last year, Bear said WabiSabi delivered 250 meals to people at their homes. This year will bring back the family-style element, with people gathering to eat together, and Bear said she’s expecting to serve 850 meals.
“I’m excited to see transients and politicians sitting at the same table,” she said.
WabiSabi will also host a creative fundraiser called “Compassionate Chefs” on December 9. The fundraiser will ask attendees to buy a ticket and dress up to sample foods made by local chefs—Bear called it a chef cook-off, and hopes to bring in donations to fund the move to a new building.
“There is so much potential, it’s beautiful,” Bear said.
The Fall Festival is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the store’s parking lot, located at 160 E. 100 S. More information can be found at https://wabisabimoab.org/calendar.
