Raintree, the young office development in Phnom Penh’s central business district, is transforming its rooftop for a two-day Christmas festival. On Friday evening (December 1) and Saturday throughout the day (December 2), Raintree’s event spaces – the Canopy and the Crown – will be bustling with festive crafts, activities and gift stalls run by a roster of creative entrepreneurs from near and far.

Building on Raintree’s mission of providing collaborative workspace where young businesses can be inspired, the core of the festival comprises a carefully curated pop-up market of with brands and entrepreneurs who are local heroes, as well as from across the region. The event also promises a live music programme featuring a jazz band from Kuala Lumpur and 12-piece acapella choir, food and cocktails from some of Phnom Penh’s best kitchens, light installations (a Raintree event signature) and much more.

Diverse local brands range from fashion to homewares to edibles to jewellery. Highlights include Atelier Kampot, specialty pepper and salt purveyor founded by Khmer-French brothers Antoine and David Meinnel, Un Été à Kep-sur-Mer, new womenswear label launched earlier this year and Amboh, who use Khmer textiles to create contemporary espadrilles.

“Raintree is all about community, and bringing like-minded people together in unexpected ways,” said Zoë Ng, one of the co-founders of Raintree, speaking to their aspiration to be “more than a workspace”. The project has already been the venue for a long list of startup, tech and corporate events over the past year, but this event will be the start of a larger events program planned for 2018, yet to be revealed. As the Raintree team gear up for the weekend, they convivially invite everyone to “come eat, drink, shop and be merry!”