Muse Market’s Mini Expo brings true Valentine’s Day spirit to downtown SLO
On Friday afternoon, a wave of pink and red hearts enveloped the local vintage clothing store Thrifty Beaches on 877 Monterey St. The back, empty part of the store was set up with everything from craft coffee and vintage clothing to mocktails, puppies and permanent jewelry. The space would hold Muse Market –– a collective of artists, makers and small businesses from Friday to Sunday –– for Valentine’s Day weekend with their very own Mini Expo.
Angela Boyd, founder and main coordinator of Muse Market, explained how this event resembled her own Pinterest board –– full of pins that captured the emotions of Valentine’s Day, mixed with sustainability and trending content. She had been planning the weekend for months, hoping to create the perfect combination of vendors and small pop-ups.
With booths full of vintage jewelry, sustainable goods, tarot card readings, non-toxic skincare products and complementary workshops, Boyd was able to create her vision of the perfect Valentine’s Day event.
“The vibe of the event is dopamine shopping, it’s like you’re getting your fix,” Boyd said. “You feel good about how you’re spending the day and who you’re supporting.”
The three-day lineup featured many of Boyd’s dream complimentary workshops, DJs, nonprofits and vendors. She said her imagination sprung to life as she watched the people of downtown flood through Thrifty Beaches’ doors, passing the bright pink backdrop and small mirror that read “Muse Market,” and conversing with the selection of vendors.
Modern Science Project welcomed customers with their colorful, funky glassware and pottery. A wide range of books were offered from Bookshop Besties, while Cosmic Munchies sold their freeze-dried snacks. Hands holding complimentary culture POP soda were outstretched to people passing by, and the aroma from Tiny Cafe’s pop-up booth wafted through the air.
Tiny Cafe, a traveling espresso and matcha bar that features organic and hand-crafted drinks, was one of the main vendors hosted at the event. Co-owner Emily Quadey shared how her close relationship with Boyd has opened up opportunities for her business to participate in Muse Market’s events for almost six months.
“My favorite part is being able to fill this empty space behind Thrifty Beaches and also all the people coming through,” Quadey said. “Today we have a strawberry matcha, which is really good.”
In every corner, customers were drawn to something, including the company Infinity Metal SLO, a brand that creates permanent jewelry, along with other jewelry pieces and ear piercings.
Cal Poly business marketing junior Lynsey Forsberg works for the company as the sole employee. Along with the other vendors, she enjoys the opportunity given by the Mini Expo to communicate with the guests and experience the joy of shopping alongside them. However, her favorite part of the event goes even deeper.
“I would say that I like that it’s women-owned, that’s the coolest part to me,” Forsberg said. “I also work for a women-owned business, I think that just looking around [the event], you can see all the empowering women who are business owners.”
Boyd said she recently decided to rebrand Muse Market, starting from the bottom up. Coming from last year in the Monthly Mission Plaza Market, she hoped to incorporate longer, more intentional shows featuring a wide variety of shopping options.
“We did Monthly Mission Plaza Market last year, which we loved, but they’re doing construction for a year, which is hard to plan an event around,” Boyd said. “So I was like, [Thrifty Beaches] is a perfect space.”
Shifting to an inside venue, Boyd said, provided her with more freedom to be creative without the worry of external factors. It also allowed her to set up a more established experience for customers.
As the sun dipped below the town’s rolling hill, the event shifted. The Mini Expo’s happy hour had just begun and it had something for everyone –– especially dog lovers. As dogs roamed the building, DJs performed and guests purchased mocktails and merchandise to directly support Paddling Paws, a company that works to help animals get rescued and find their forever home.
Muse Market will continue on its journey of uplifting local artisans and supporting small business pop-ups. You can catch them next at the At Her Table Festival on March 9.
