Four years ago, Manisha Vinod of Bangalore Creative Circus — a community space that blends sustainability, art, and food — launched a monthly market. Titled BCC Carnival, this gathering held on the first Sunday of every month has been a celebration of conscious community and local changemakers, often exploring different themes and causes. Next week, Manisha is all set to host the 50th edition of the BCC Carnival, and the community has planned it as a two-day carnival that “celebrates ways of living that are kinder to Nature and humanity”. 

Manisha explains how the team has supported “hundreds of farmers, small businesses, and seen beautiful brands and collaborations come to life” since the BCC Carnival was launched in 2022. “From first-time vendors setting up their very first stall, to individuals discovering new passions through workshops, conversations, and shared experiences, the community has grown organically with every edition,” she says, adding how they have also had multiple themes over the years such as Celebrating Play, solutions around the Climate Crisis, Repair-Reuse-Recycle, The Kind Market, and more. 

Next weekend, The Big 50 will feature a conscious market, live entertainment, art activities, games, interactive workshops, kids activities, conversation spaces, and farm-to-table food. Visitors can look forward to local brands selling fresh produce, millet mixes, healthy snacks, desserts, baked goods, ferments, pickles, personal care, home cleaners, organic clothing, stationery, upcycled accessories, and traditional games. Sustainable brands that have been with BCC from the first market include Chempotty Estate (cacao, sour sop, etc), Tengin (coconut products), Forgotten Foods (millet-based products), We Mana (protein bars), Praana Poorna (cleaning products), Eat Raja (zero-waste beverages), among others. 

“The intention behind each of our markets have been to exchange ideas, explore sustainable alternatives for conscious living, and share solutions instead of just conversations around problems,” says Manisha, who works on a 90:10 revenue share model for these events.

“We only take 10% of the sales proceeds from the day, since for Bangalore Creative Circus, the important part is in the engagement of the farmers with the customers, knowing where our food comes from, and understanding the challenges of climate change. Most markets and platforms of this nature are inaccessible to most in Bengaluru and we are trying to change that,” she says.

On June 6 (4pm to 10pm) and June 7 (12pm to 7pm) at Bangalore Creative Circus, Yeshwantpur. Entry is free. Details on blrcreativecircus.com