MISSOULA — The Southgate Mall hosts the indoor Missoula Valley Winter Market, an indoor market for local vendors from Missoula and the Bitterroot during the colder months of the year.
Featuring fresh food, handmade goods, and displays from local artists, the market is the perfect opportunity to buy local at a time when people may need it.
“Especially around the holidays, the Missoula Valley Winter Market is great for the vendors. A lot of times, you know, if they’re selling direct to the public, it’s either at a market other than that it’s usually online,"market organizer Franco Salazar explained. "Online sales through their website or different interfaces so it works really well to where they have a place where they can sell their products directly to the consumer.”
However, it’s not just the consumers that benefit from these markets but the vendors do as well in a unique way. Many vendors including Arthur Wayne Hot Sauce, like to use some of the produce and food from this market to make their product.
Arthur Shubert the owner talked about how he uses markets like this one for his business.
“You know I use local honey in our hot sauces, local peppers, all kinds of things that go into our hot sauces that come from the community, and having these markets available, it introduces me to new people, new businesses that are starting up that we can network with.”
The Missoula Valley Winter Market will be held again on December 30, 2023, at Southgate Mall.
