A holiday market will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Tanger Outlets, 311 Stanley K. Tanger Blvd., Lancaster, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include a variety of vendors, nonprofits, food trucks, seasonal music, holiday games and children's activities.

Dozens of local vendors and crafters will be present to sell their wares at the market, such as Color Street, Lucy's Dog Dudds, Pottery by Monica and Off the Hook Creations. Many nonprofits will have their own stands and offer games and activities for children, including tours of Lafayette Fire Company trucks and a pingpong toss. Children will have an opportunity to take a photo with Santa and Elsa, and holiday music will be provided by local carolers throughout the day. To register as a vendor, nonprofit or food truck, visit http://www.mjsquad.com/events.

The holiday market is coordinated by MJ Small Business Squad, a local organization focused on prioritizing small businesses in the area. "The goal of the event is to have people support local businesses while they do their holiday shopping," said Megan Kalbach, founder of MJ Small Business Squad. "We found that it was something that is really needed, and it's been well received by the community."

Kalbach started the organization in July 2020 with her business partner, Jacque Hess, after the COVID-19 pandemic affected them both as business owners; Kalbach owned a Mary Kay business and worked as a Cadillac sales director for 10 years, and Hess' family owned Country Table Restaurant in Mount Joy. After Kalbach helped to organize a food truck event with Hess, who was working to keep Country Table operating, members of the community contacted them to inquire about who their marketing team was.

"We decided that since we couldn't work our own business, instead of sitting around crying about what we couldn't do, we would apply the skills we acquired over the years to other small businesses," said Kalbach. Since officially creating MJ Small Business Squad, Kalbach's team has grown to include a staff of 13 members, all of whom are working mothers with experience operating a local business. "It has bloomed into something where we can provide a flexible work environment for women to prioritize their families and, beautifully, do the same for the businesses we support here locally," said Kalbach.

MJ Small Business Squad will also coordinate the Hometown Holiday market at Wyndham Lancaster Resort, 2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, on Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20, and an outdoor community market in Mountville in the spring. For more information, visit http://www.mjsquad.com.