The holiday shopping season arrived early in downtown Des Moines this weekend as the ninth annual Des Moines Holiday Boutique filled the EMC Expo Center with festive goods, local enterprises, and holiday spirit, KCCI reported.
Running through Sunday at 730 3rd Street, the three-day event features more than 200 small businesses offering clothing, coffee, handmade gifts, soaps, and food stalls, according to Hoodline. Admission is set at $15 for shoppers 13 and older, while children 12 and under enter free. Event organizer Cara Braithwaite told WHO13 that the boutique has become a fixture for the metro area, drawing roughly 14,000 shoppers annually to browse products from both local and national artisans.
For participating entrepreneurs, the weekend offers a chance to build relationships rather than just complete transactions. Jennifer Freking, owner of Pink Hummingbird, marked her fifth year at the boutique. Five years later, here I am. Just followed my dream,
Freking said, according to KCCI.
Jocelyn Gamez, owner of Piel Canela Coffee, emphasized the community backing behind the booths. They don’t only support just the business; they support the person behind it and all that hard work. So that just means everything to us,
Gamez said.
Beyond traditional retail booths, the schedule features local performances on the Holiday Entertainment Stage and an Iowa Wine Village hosting local wineries, Hoodline reported. The event also incorporates a charitable component, offering attendees a $30 donation option benefiting the DMARC Food Pantry Network.
The expo floor also featured young business owners sharing their entrepreneurial projects alongside established vendors. A dedicated showcase on Sunday gave young sellers space to display items such as handmade beeswax candles, wallets, and keychains. One young maker shared a message for other kids wanting to start a small business: You can do it if you put your mind to it,
as reported by KCCI.
