Holiday Mart brings commerce and spirit to Downtown

By Kendra Simpson

Halloween is just four days away, but many St. Joseph residents prefer to look at it as four days from the start of the holiday celebrations, which is why the Civic Arena hosted the 2024 Holiday Mart this weekend.

“What better month to celebrate the holidays?” show manager Shelly Purcell said. “We have Halloween, then we have Thanksgiving, then we have Christmas. So let’s start off the holiday season with a bang.”

The Holiday Mart gives St. Joseph residents the perfect opportunity to get a head start on their gift shopping for everyone. With over 100 vendors, the possibilities seemed endless.

“My method to madness is I need something for everyone that comes through the door,” Purcell said. “I have gutters, I have windows, I have Scentsy candles, I have t-shirts, I have dips, wine slushies…so you need something for everybody that comes through the door.”

The Holiday Mart isn’t just beneficial to checking off shopping lists, but also brings revenue and visitors to St. Joseph.

“I think it’s a huge plus for the community,” Purcell said. “Our community is on the upswing because (visitors) are at the restaurants, they’re at the hotels and things like that…so when they go back home, they go home to Jamesport or I have some from Iowa, then they can say ‘You need to try that show that Shelly runs in St. Joseph at the Civic.’ … So St. Joe is certainly benefiting from having this show and bringing customers from all outlying areas to our Downtown area.”

With so many vendors, preparations for next year’s Holiday Mart start as early as the day after. To feature a business in the 2025 Holiday Mart, visit the event’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StJoeGiftMart?ref=embed_page.