Carson City's 'Midtown Marketplace' brings a local, unique shopping experience through monthly themes, events, and more
Carson City’s Midtown Marketplace is the first of its kind in the capital city, offering a curated, themed shopping experience bringing together over 30 local vendors in a one stop shop offering home decor, handmade jewelry, crafted gifts, collectibles, and much more.
Midtown Marketplace, located off of N. Carson Street at 104 Corbett Street, is co-owed by Coleen Cudney and Christine Latshaw, who opened their marketplace just north of Downtown Carson City in early August, and are hoping to brand the area as Carson City’s own Midtown.
“We named ourselves ‘midtown’ because there is no official midtown in Carson City and we felt we needed to start it,” said Latshaw.
“That’s why we purposefully named ourselves ‘midtown,’ because this area is classified not quite downtown, but more of a midtown, and we wanted to start a trend,” added Cudney. “And it’s working.”
Marketplaces first began on the east coast and have slowly been expanding west with gaining popularity, according to Cudney, bringing together local vendors in one location, selling a variety of goods cohesively linked together with a specific, changing theme.
This month’s theme, because of the holidays, is “Vintage Christmas and Candy Cane Wishes.”
Over thirty vendors rose to the challenge this month to fill the 2,200 square foot space, with boutiques offering everything from vintage wooden ornaments to hand-knit stockings, collectible holiday home decor, jewelry, and more.
The theme recycles monthly, but throughout each month vendors are constantly restocking their wares, offering new items on a weekly basis.
Unlike other marketplaces, Midtown Marketplace vendors are only allowed to sell antiques as 20 percent of their overall boutique.
“Items vary from vendor to vendor based on their speciality, which gives customers a unique shopping experience in each individual boutique,” said Cudney.
Vendors are also given exclusivity on certain items so each boutique is allowed to be unique, providing a fair experience to all of their vendors.
Cudney and Latshaw got into the business after they had their own boutique in a Sacramento marketplace, and identified Carson City’s need for its own.
“With the growth that Carson City is anticipating over the next five year within residential, there will be a lot of families coming in and they’ll be looking to redecorate and fill their homes, and people like to be savvy with their shopping,” said Cudney. “The number one comment we get when people walk in is ‘Wow, Carson City needs this.’”
Midtown Marketplace is also expanding into offering community events; currently they offer “Sip and Shop” wine events during which shoppers can drink wine while they peruse the offered goods, serenaded by live music.
On the first Sunday of each month, they also offer a DIY class, which is often taught by one of their own vendors, who lead participants in creating their own themed project.
They also offer a donation-based coffee bar, of which 80 percent of the proceeds go towards protecting Washoe Valley’s Wild Horses.
“We are community based,” said Cudney. “One of the things we love are our repeat customers who bring in ideas for expansions, like live music or DIY classes, that they offer up their time.”
Midtown Marketplace is also a member of the Downtown Business Association, and vino lovers can stop by during the Wine Walk to check them out.
The next theme for the marketplace will be Wanderlust, pertaining to travel, regeneration and renewal to welcome in 2022.
The shop is opened Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as the first Sunday of every month from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
To learn more about the shop, including upcoming events, vendor information, and new themes, you can find them at https://midtownmarketplacenv.com , or on Facebook or Instagram at midtownmarketplacenv