Leland Gal moves temporarily out of Fishtown to downtown

Photo by Emma Moulton

From staff reports

Leland Gal Maggie Revel Mielczarek will temporarily move her creative fabrics and designer thread shop from Fishtown to the corner of River & Main in the heart of Leland. The new open-air market, dubbed “Leland Gal Under the Arbor” is the result of support from Benjamin Maier Ceramics and Dawn Fisher of River & Main. Mielczarek will set up and tear down each day and remain open daily from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., except when it rains.

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” said Mielczarek. “But given the anxiety of not knowing when the water [in Fishtown] will come up at any second, it’s energizing to know we have a place to go. We’re going to transform the new location to be elegant. And because it’s outdoors, customers this year will feel safe shopping there [during the pandemic].”

Leland Gal launched eight years ago in a Fishtown shanty and plans to move back as soon as it can. The historic village of wooden shanties has been inundated by record-high Lake Michigan water levels and seiches that temporarily flood the shanties.

“Fishtown understands that if we want to return to Fishtown, we have to grow our business,” said Mielczarek. “We’re not leaving Fishtown for good.”