For the first time ever this past summer, Avery travelled all the way up to Friday Harbour Resort. Officially our first outdoor pop-up, the location couldn't have been more perfect for our swimwear. Even more, it had been a year since our last in-person event that we couldn't wait to do it all over again. Hello resort town, here we come.
Popping Up at Friday Harbour
Located in Innisfil, Ontario, Friday Harbour Resort borders on beautiful Lake Simcoe. Known as a cottage destination, Friday Harbour offers visitors a picturesque resort experience with a variety of boutiques and upscale restaurants to shop and dine in. All while strolling the promenade and taking in views of the lakeside.
For one day only this past August, Avery brought our collection of sustainable bikinis all the way up north, with Lake Simcoe as our backdrop. The market featured all kinds of vendors including fashion, jewellery, leather goods and artwork. Luckily, it was all shine this past August making it the perfect summers day for us to meet new faces while showcasing our pieces.
We were ecstatic to be a vendor during Friday Harbour's summer pop-up market, which took place every weekend through the months of May to September. We'd never done an outdoor pop-up prior to this so we only committed to one day at Friday Harbour to start - to get a taste of resort life and to get a feel of the crowd firstly.
For this pop-up, we switched up our aesthetic to have all-white furnishings. From white tablecloths and clothing racks, we had flipped the look from our usual all-black attire to match our assigned tent and resort vibes of the harbour. This ended up giving our brand a very clean and refreshing summery vibe, and we loved it!
Though we ran into a few mishaps in the beginning (such as the wind knocking all our items down before the event even began), it surprisingly turned out to be one of our favourite pop-ups to date. The crowd was bustling that August long weekend, with visitors eager to find their one-of-a-kind treasures from featured vendors at the market.
Undoubtedly, it was very long and tiring day. From setting up at 10am and tending to our booth all the way until 8pm (not to mention the hours long takedown and all the hours spent in the sun). But after all the hard work, we felt so proud to have completed one our most gruelling yet rewarding pop-ups.
The crowd at Friday Harbour Resort ranged from weekend visitors to permanent residents who were out and about enjoying their time around the resort. Many of the people who stopped by our booth were serious shoppers, intent on snagging a new swimsuit during their time at the resort.
Luckily for us, they were in love with our reversible pieces. Our vegan leather bikinis were a hit - hello
Lola bikini in Charcoal. And people couldn't get enough of the fact we make our bikinis from recycled ocean waste. In fact, a kind gentleman walking by tipped off his wife about our sustainable bikinis, who ended up by our first customer of the day. Thanks guys! Avery appreciates you.
By the end of the day, It was obvious Friday Harbour was the perfect spot for our swimwear. Our only wish was that we'd come up to this beautiful lakeside resort earlier. It was great to have Avery front and center once again. Even better, during the summer months while at a lavish resort town.
Best part? We were located right next to the water (thanks
Simcoe Country Markets), allowing us to enjoy the lovely views of the harbour as we showcased our brand all day long. Without saying, we were in awe of this place and we can't wait to come back next summer! Look out to see Avery popping up for a longer stay at Friday Harbour the second time around.
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Our sustainable bikinis at the market by Friday Harbour
En route to Friday Harbour (making the one-hour drive from Toronto)
Presenting Avery Swimwear - made from recycled ocean waste
