Wink Vintage – Montavilla News

Two events will attract visitors to Montavilla’s commercial corridors this Saturday evening. Winter Wassail along NE Glisan Street features festive beverages, snacks, carolers, and holiday lighting. Participating stores and restaurants between 82nd and 68th Avenues will remain open for last-minute holiday gifts and festivities. People are invited to Wassail (Go from location to location caroling and/or drinking in merriment) on Glisan from 4 to 8 p.m. this December 17th.

*Promotional image provide by event coordinators*

That same night, SE Stark Street businesses will host the Montavilla Soiree & Pub Crawl from 6 to 9 p.m. The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) organized this winter celebration in the historic downtown to support neighborhood businesses as they enjoy the best parts of the colder months.

Drinkers, shoppers, and anyone looking for a fun Saturday night can explore the collection of holiday-themed cocktails, food specials, live music, and late-night last-minute shopping in one big evening event. No matter where you reside, some part of Montavilla will have an activity to warm your spirit on a cold night.

These are some of the participating businesses on Glisan Street:

Futura Coffee Roasters – Truffle Parmesan Popcorn, Molasses Cookies, and Pistachio Eggnog jars (vegan options)
Blank Slate Bar – Collaboration with Futura Coffee Roasters for a joint celebration
Citrine Bloom
Hinterland
Fressen Artisan Bakery – “Insanely delicious winter dinner and treats”
Secret Pizza Society
True North Studios
East Glisan Pizza Lounge – Eggnog by the glass (boozy option) or by the flight (includes alcohol)
Sparrow Salon – mini energy clearing sessions

These are some of the participating businesses on Stark Street:

Beer Bunker – music with Gwen Hamilton and Travis Shoemake with Peruvian food
Vino Veritas – Live music and holiday themed drinks with food specials, games and prizes
Tinker Tavern – Holiday food and drink specials, cocoa bar and photo booth
Threshold – Drink specials, music and live music
Arbor Hall – Live music and hot buttered rum
The Observatory and Over and Out – $5 holiday drink special
Wink Vintage – holiday sale and collection box for Rahab’s Sisters
Union Rose – holiday sale and collection box for Rahab’s Sisters
Personal Beast – all night happy hour for treats
BoneJax – open late for last minute holiday sales
Red Shed Tree Lot – Photo booths and fire pits

Rahabs Sisters will be collecting gloves, hats, jackets, blankets, and tents. Drop off locations will be Union Rose and Wink Vintage.

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author if this article serves on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) board. METBA sponsors some of these events.

On April 10th, Wink Vintage opened a new shop on SE Stark Street. The owners merged two successful online vintage businesses into their first physical store. Located at 7909 SE Stark Street, this collaboration from Jennifer Strom and Courtney Kimball provides a curated vintage store where anybody can find something they like.

Having taken over the recently vacated Union Rose space, the store only required minor updates before opening. Outside of painting walls and sanding the floors, the shop was in a usable condition. “They left it in good shape, so there wasn’t a lot of work to be done,” explained Strom. “[We] just adding our own flair,” added Kimball.

Although both are veterans of the vintage sales market, they had day jobs that provided additional income propr to opening this new shop. Kimball has worked for 20 years as a hairstylist and continues to see clients one day a week. Strom left a five-year-long bartending career to pursue her passion for vintage retail full-time. Both are enthusiastic about their new location in Montavilla and have already found foot traffic encouraging when neighboring businesses are open.

The owners are still adding items to the shop, particularly expanding non-clothing goods. However, they are intent on not overcrowding the shop. Items on the racks represent a fraction of what the pair have collected. They regularly scour garage sales, estate sales, and private collections for the best vintage items. Additionally, they invite people to sell items directly to the store. The expanded collection outside the store allows the business to provide personal shopping services. The store staff can hunt for particular items or recommend something based on past interest. They continue to sell online for the many customers across the country and have a devoted audience on the company’s Instagram.

Vintage clothing will not be the extent of the store’s apparel offerings. Working with a local seamstress, Wink Vintage will produce an in-house line using selectively sourced textiles. The backroom will soon become a workspace for clothing production and the occasional alteration of purchased items.

Only a month old, and the shop is already vibrant and active. They are open from 11 AM to 7 PM Wednesday through Saturday and 11 AM to 5 PM on Sundays. Visit them online and in person to get an idea of what items they have, and don’t be shy about asking them if they can find you a particular item.