If you have ever visited BFM2, chances are you have seen Emily Howe. She and her husband, Steve, set up their booth directly behind the welcome tent every Sunday with Howe Sweet It Is and Nine Hives Meadery. They are also longtime Gather ’Round Christmas Market vendors, so at this point, I think it is safe to say we are stuck with each other.

 

And they are the right type of people to be stuck with! 

 

I first met Emily and Steve, I believe, back in 2022 when I started buying their honey products to sell at Market on Main. I’m not sure what Emily and I’s attachment style is, but I’m pretty certain it’s healthy-ish and chock-full of sarcasm.  Now Emily is the President of the BFM2 Board of Directors.

 

Emily represents the “Makers” side of our market on the board, and she stepped up this year to serve as our Board President. I can tell you firsthand that her help has been pivotal to getting BFM2 through its first season.

 

We have spent hours together working through vendor applications, maps, schedules and all of the other behind-the-scenes details that nobody really sees on Sunday mornings.....and we just keep laughing. Ok, I might have shed a few tears, but then right back to laughing! 

I don't know if I should admit this publicly, but I'm gonna,  Emily and I have a very similar sense of humor. ?? We were both raised in big Italian families, so perhaps that explains at least some of it. We do not make it through a Sunday without picking at each other about something....or everything, and Steve never misses an opportunity to jump in. If there is a joke to be made, one of them is going to make it.

But underneath all of that joking around is someone I have come to rely on tremendously and care for deeply. 

 

Emily has had my back this entire year. She has consistently kept the best interests of BFM2 at the forefront, and I appreciate the thought, time and energy she has put into helping us build this market. Being a new nonprofit with a new board, several new vendors, new systems and a whole lot of moving pieces has been a learning experience for all of us. Having people like Emily beside me has made it a whole lot easier and a heck of lot more fun.

 

So, Bridgeport, meet our Board President, Emily Howe.

 

She brings just the right amount of “What did you just say?” to every situation, plenty of laughter to our Sundays, and a whole lot of heart to BFM2.

 

Emily, thank you for stepping up, having my back and believing in what we are building here. You are very appreciated.

 

And yes, we will keep Steve, too. He can stay.