ABOUT OUR MARKET
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Mission
The Capital City Public Market believes in growing a sustainable, local food system and a thriving local economy. Through the exchange of goods and services, locals and out-of-town visitors enjoy a vibrant shopping atmosphere.
The Market generates millions of dollars for the local economy and helps local, independent micro-businesses expand and develop their client base. We support these local business owners by providing a place to sell their products and connect with their community every Saturday.
MARKET HISTORY
The Capital City Public Market started in 1994 as an outdoor farmers market on 8th Street in downtown Boise. At the time, it was the only farmers’ market of its kind in Boise and the surrounding area. During its first year, the Market had one employee and about 10 vendors, who were a mix of food producers and artists.
Initially only open on 8th Street from spring to fall, the Market was eventually able to add on the Holiday Market at the Grove Plaza, which brought together a mix of regular and seasonal vendors. This gave residents and visitors the chance to shop at an open-air market in downtown Boise on any given Saturday from April to December.
Over the last 29 years, the Capital City Public Market has grown steadily, expanding its footprint and adding new vendors each year. The Market now consists of 150+ local businesses and fills downtown Boise with thousands of shoppers every Saturday!
The Market was greatly affected by the challenges of COVID! Permitting restrictions kept us from returning downtown to 8th & Idaho St. for all of 2020 and most of 2021. We focused on creating a smaller event by moving to Garden City, ID at the 34th Street Market for Saturdays. This enabled us to provide a safe, outdoor shopping experience for our guests, to be a space for our regular farmers and artists to offer their wares and allowed us to welcome new small businesses into our group. In 2021, our market was able to open for 10 short weeks on 10th & Idaho St.
Our Market returned to the beloved downtown Boise for the 2022 and 2023 market seasons, however, downtown construction caused us to shift a few blocks away to the Grove Plaza located at 8th & Main St. We are beyond thrilled to be in downtown Boise on Saturdays for the regular Market season and the Holiday Market. No matter our location, the Market has proven over the last 29 years, that it is made of resilient, passionate people, and we are grateful for the support of our community!
Why Buy Local Produce?
Purchasing directly from Treasure Valley farmers helps support and strengthen the community, protect our land, & conserve fuel.
Restoring the balance of local versus long-distance food is healthy for our communities, our farms, our land, and ourselves.
Why Buy Local Art?
When you buy directly from the artist, you are buying from a neighbor: this helps support their family and keeps your money in the local economy.
You are also able to establish a connection with that artist: they can help you find exactly what you want, as well as tell you the backstory of your piece and how to maintain it.
Why Buy Here ?
The Market is committed to providing a safe and vibrant shopping experience.
Because we are outdoors, there is plenty of air circulation to minimize health risks to our customers. We file traffic and fire plans to enable us to safely close roadways but allow for emergency services. We space out our vendors' booths to minimize crowding.
Just as important, we keep the Market fun! We often have live music and entertainers, we are close to downtown eateries, but -- best of all -- our regular and guest vendors offer a curated variety of food, drinks, and art that is always dynamic and delicious!
