The Year of the Rabbit is here! Lunar New Year celebrations kick off on Sunday, January 22 and continue through February 5. If you’re looking to celebrate or to support Asian-owned local businesses, look no further than Land to Sea.
East Williamsburg’s Land to Sea (402 Graham Ave.) is a coffee shop and creative venue that was opened in October 2021 by first-time business owners Emily Shum and Eva Zhou.
To ring in the Year of the Rabbit, Shum and Zhou have partnered with design studio Overice to co-host “The Lunar Market,” a mini flea market that features small, Asian-owned businesses.
The flea market will take place next weekend, January 28 – 29 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., in the back of Land to Sea.
Some of the Asian artisans and Asian-owned small business featured at the flea market include DAWANG selling apparel, Beadaholic selling beaded jewelry, Grand Tea & Imports selling ceramics, artist Tianqi Chen doing flash tattoos, Kinida selling lamp shades, and Overice studio selling stationeries and plants.
Those at the flea market will be able to purchase bags that they can fill up with classic Chinese candies and snacks. Plus, there will be a paper cutting workshop, and visitors can also enjoy Mischelle Moy’s artwork that will be featured on the walls of the Land to Sea during the market.
A portion of the proceeds at the flea market will go to support a local nonprofit organization that benefits the Asian-American community: the W.O.W Project. This organization is a women, queer, and trans-led initiative that aims to protect the Asian-American community’s creative culture in a time of change.
After browsing and buying at the market, visitors can enjoy special treats from Land to Sea. On January 28 – 29, the coffee shop will be serving limited weekend-only menu items to commemorate Lunar New Year such as the “White Rabbit Espresso” and special mooncake flavors.
Land to Sea will also be releasing brand-new merchandise. The special items include a Lunar New Year T-shirt, greeting cards, and sticker sheets. The T-shirt and greeting cards will be available to purchase in-store and online starting on January 21.