By Gabriella Rubio
Picture this; it is a sunny, 75-degree, Sunday afternoon in Ocean Beach, San Diego, and ‘The Bubble’ is filled with energy, from beachy visitors to vibey nomads in colorful, flowy clothing. Whether you’re passing through or an Obcean through and through, the energy here is unmistakable. And if you’re fortunate enough to spend time in this place, you’ll be changed by the community and connections built on kind smiles, music, art, and care.
Now, meet two local goddesses, Kat Hall and Nicole Pino, whose hearts are full of love for their community and a desire to give back. They are collaborating with The Template, a local café on Niagara Avenue run by owners Marie and Shine.
Combining Kat and Nicole’s creative souls with Marie and Shine’s welcoming space, they are hosting their first Free Market, a donation-based, community-driven pop-up store. Locals can come together to bring gently used items such as clothing, books, décor, kitchenware, non-perishable foods, or even baked goods. Those who donate may, in turn, take what they need for free. They ask participants to give items they’d love to trade and to take only what they need. This event will be held at The Template on 5032 Niagara in Ocean Beach on Sunday, March 29th, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm.
Template owners Marie and Shine are offering their space free of charge, while asking attendees to give back to the community by purchasing a drink so that events like this can continue. Marie describes The Template as “A Place to Start,” a hub where community, knowledge, and talents can be cultivated through art, performance, teaching, or passion projects, such as launching a business or starting a charity to help others.
Now, let’s go back one year. The musical goddess Kat Hall arrived in San Diego, bringing a giving heart and creative spirit. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, she moved to Long Beach in 2019 after graduating from Florida State University (FSU), following the call of connection and creativity. Hall was drawn to San Diego in 2020 by feelings of love, community, and a sense of family, where people uplift and support one another in their art.
She speaks of her love for music starting at a young age—singing in school chorus, performing at church, and making music with her sister and friends. Currently, Hall is working on an album that blends her passion for reggae and conscious music, addressing relevant topics while spreading love and unity, while also exploring genres like disco, pop, and more. She plans to release the album by the end of the year, so keep an eye out for it and catch her on your preferred music platform or at local shows. You might even find her performing in her home state of Florida or at the Oregon Van Life Festival.
Kat’s heart for service and community is evident in her journey. While at FSU, she studied Social Entrepreneurship, defined as businesses with a mission-oriented purpose aimed at creating meaningful change. Experiences like attending a “Really Free Market” hosted by a friend helped guide her path toward creating this event alongside Nicole.
Nicole Pino, Kat’s close friend, local performer, and booking coordinator for The Template, plays an equal role in bringing the Free Market to life. She discovered local Facebook Buy Nothing Groups, where people post items to give freely to the community. Inspired by this generosity, she sought ways to repurpose her own belongings and give them a new life.
When asked about her drive to take action, Nicole said, “It wasn’t until I came across ‘The Free Store Project’ on Humans of New York that the concept of humanity helping each other proved to be scalable. The article spoke to me, diving into topics of scarcity mindset, overconsumption, and the faith that can be restored in fellow humans through sharing resources.” She hopes to extend this generosity to create a space where people feel loved and supported.
When asked, “In what ways do you hope the Free Market reaches people in Ocean Beach?” Kat spoke about shared frustrations many people feel, saying “it can feel very isolating,” and emphasized recognizing others who are passionate about the same issues. She explained that her way of responding is to share her energy and music to spread love and unity, while encouraging people to be intentional about how they spend their time, energy, and money.
Kat and Nicole feel the weight of current events and their impact on local communities, and they are called to create spaces where people can support one another, especially in response to ICE’s actions in recent months. To support affected families, Kat met with the Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of San Diego, a group that provides legal advice and assistance to low-income residents while educating about the immigration process. The Legal Aid Society plans to attend the Free Market to share resources with the community.
Building on this spirit of local action, Kat urges us to “step away from giving money to companies like Amazon, Shein, Temu and instead support slow fashion and art,” in hopes of leading us into a space where neighbors can, once again, rely on each other in times of need. Kat emphasizes that we have the power to direct our energy toward supporting others by showing up for neighbors and putting money back into the community through farmer’s markets and small businesses. Her overarching message: lead with kindness, remain open-minded, and truly listen to one another to strengthen connection and lessen the divide.
Nicole shared her gratitude for the collaboration, saying:
“I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude at the opportunity to make this all happen and I couldn’t have done it without Kat. Working together with someone so selfless and caring is such an inspiration and she really helps make things happen.”
“I truly hope this event can create a ripple through communities in San Diego to come together, help each other and fight for love and unity.”
At its core, The Free Market is an invitation: to show up for one another, to give what you can, and to take only what you need. Through this intentional act of care, Kat Hall and Nicole Pino hope to create a space where community is not just talked about, but actively practiced, and experienced.
With that in mind, the magical duo of Kat and Nicole hope to spark neighborly connections that ripple through our lives, and they invite everyone to experience it firsthand at the Free Market, where generosity, connection, and community come alive.
Excellent article about a groundbreaking mindset and event! We truly do “vote with our dollars” and putting unity consciousness into action by sharing and trading instead of discarding and paying is a simple but extremely effective move. Thanks for presenting all the layers of what this community function really is.
Woohoo!! See yall tomorrow!!
Wonderful idea. I’ll have to come for coffee one day… if I can find a parking space that doesn’t cost $25 (next door to The Template). I immediately recognized the building as where, 30 years or more ago, I brought electronics, turntable, for service. I don’t recall if this was before or after I took something to a different electronics repair store at Voltaire & Cable St. (Lucy’s expanded into this one after the owner closed it).