By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published September 20, 2022
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Online shopping is convenient, but there’s nothing quite like being able to see something in person before you buy it for yourself or a loved one.
So it probably isn’t surprising that Tau Beta’s annual Fall Market is a highly anticipated event. A fundraiser for the philanthropic and volunteer community work of the nonprofit Tau Beta Association, Fall Market kicks off with a preview party from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Grosse Pointe Club on Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Farms. The club is usually for members only, but it opens its doors to the public each year for this event. The preview party — for which tickets are $75 per person in advance or $85 at the door — will include live music by Nicole New, a signature cocktail, hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, as well as an early opportunity to shop. There’s also a raffle — tickets are $25 apiece or five for $100 — offering participants a chance to win prizes that include jewelry, travel and more.
The market will be open for shoppers from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 30 and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1, at a cost of $5 per person at the door. A lunch buffet will be available for purchase on the lower level of the club both days, and cocktails will be available for purchase from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 30. Preview party ticketholders can return to the market either day, if they choose.
Shoppers will find clothing for men, women and children, jewelry, handbags, household décor, holiday items, gifts for pets and more.
There are about 20 vendors this year, coming from as close as Grosse Pointe City and as far away as Jacmel, Haiti. Organizers said 15% of sale proceeds from the market will be donated to Tau Beta.
“It’s nice to be able to go somewhere and see the item and touch it and have that (in-person) shopping experience,” Julie Kaiser said.
The 2022 Tau Beta Fall Market is co-chaired by Julie Kaiser and Powell Peabody. The honorary chairs are Kathryn Kaiser — Julie Kaiser’s mother-in-law — and Margaret Peabody — Powell Peabody’s mother.
Shoppers will be able to get something unique.
“There’s things you really can’t find anywhere else,” Kaiser said.
Tau Beta has more than 460 members and 50 junior members who live in metro Detroit — hailing from communities including the Grosse Pointes, Detroit, St. Clair Shores, Farmington and Rochester Hills, among many others — as well as more than 200 members who don’t live in Michigan.
Since 2004, Tau Beta has partnered with the Children’s Center of Detroit, which provides emotional and mental wellness services to at-risk children and families in metro Detroit. Besides financial support, Peabody said Tau Beta members volunteer there, shopping for and stocking a year-round food pantry, reading to children and more. In just the last five years, Kaiser said Tau Beta has donated more than $500,000 to the Children’s Center.
In addition to its assistance to the Children’s Center, Tau Beta provides grants to other local nonprofits and initiatives.
The Fall Market is vital because it provides much of the money needed for Tau Beta’s work.
“This is (our) biggest fundraiser for the year,” Peabody said.
Besides shoppers, Peabody and Kaiser thanked their many sponsors and donations from members.
For years, Tau Beta held its market fundraiser in the spring — aptly calling it Spring Market. But in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to postpone the event until fall. As luck would have it, that turned out to be a better time.
“We have so many great vendors,” Powell Peabody said. “Everyone’s in the mood to shop (at this time of year). People are able to do their (holiday) shopping while supporting a great cause.”
The Grosse Pointe Club — also known as “The Little Club” — is located at 6 Berkshire Place in Grosse Pointe Farms, behind Grosse Pointe Memorial Church. For advance preview party tickets or more information, visit taubeta.org or see their Facebook page, TBSpringMarket.