This year, Jonesboro shoppers will have the opportunity to get ready for the holiday season in a new way with The Hive Boutique Market, an upscale shopping experience that will feature a weekend of makers, artists and local boutiques at one festive location.

The Hive Boutique Markets’ Very Merry Boutique Christmas event will take place Dec. 14 and 15 at the Centennial Hall Ballroom at Arkansas State University. In addition to nearly 40 vendors, the weekend of shopping will have door prizes and opportunities for photos with Santa, along with caroling from local choirs – Brookland Middle School, Brookland Junior High, Brookland High School, Jonesboro High School, Nettleton High School and Marmaduke Junior High and High School – that will perform on Saturday throughout the day.

VIPs will be able to shop early on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $15, with general admission available from 1-5 p.m. for $10. Saturday evening will be capped off with a Girls Night Out, sponsored by Occasions Publishing Group, from 5-9 p.m. for $20 that will include swag bags, cocktails, entertainment, door prizes, food and more. General admission for Sunday will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $10; highlights on Sunday will include a fashion show organized by Enhancements Boutique that will be held from 1:30-2 p.m. and a performance by Jenny Powers and The Link Theatre Company from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

“I created The Hive Boutique Market to create an upscale boutique shopping experience for makers, artists and boutique owners to gather in one room for a weekend of holiday shopping,” said The Hive’s owner and founder, Holly Cavenaugh. “My hope is that it will bring the community together to support local and shop small. Small business owners put most everything they have into their businesses, and it’s important the community recognize that and support it. We are featuring tons of events during the weekend to really involve the community.”

Cavenaugh had experienced boutique markets in other areas and wanted to bring a similar experience to Jonesboro.
“I am a participant in markets in and outside of Arkansas as a jewelry merchant, and I noticed there was not a boutique-style market in Jonesboro,” said Cavenaugh, a small business owner and entrepreneur. “I also see a real need for markets outside of the craft fair realm in Arkansas – an indoor market that caters to merchants that are selling some things that are handmade and done by artists but also things that are not handmade. We need an event that features merchants such as boutiques, who cater to women and shoppers who are seeking niche items – fun and interesting items that are unique to that specific boutique. 
“A marketplace like The Hive is needed in Northeast Arkansas. It creates a space for brick-and-mortar businesses, as well as online and in home/pop-up style businesses, to gather for a weekend to sell in a curated marketplace all their own.”

Shoppers will be able to browse through a variety of goods, including a charm bar, permanent jewelry, a hat bar, skincare, candles, art, women’s and children’s clothing, baked goods, charcuterie boxes, food, gift items and more.

To date, the event will be teaming with numerous local vendors including Woman at the Well Botanicals, Pink Opal Boutique, Finding Foxtale, Infusion, Enhancements Boutique, Fizz Facial Bar, JMDesigns362, Blue Cottage Candle Company, Mommy’s Little Cakery, Mia Boutique & Market LLC, Sugar Creek Clothing LLC, Emma Estelle Artist, Katie’s Kaleidoscope Kitchen & More, Lainey Mae Clothing Co., MadeByMC, Buttonwood Boutique, MB Hat Bar, Browmont & Co, Bliss Cupcakes Café, Evermade Jewelry Co., Everyday Bombshell Boutique, Angie Spiegel Artworks, The Baby Wardrobe, Hide & Home, Boutique & Coffee Lounge, Support the Mission of a Lifetime, 2 Sisters Remade, ZYIA Active, Topanga Scents with Missy French, Sugaring NYC Jonesboro, Southern Harvest Boutique, Market Bliss, Cottontail Consignment & Boutique, Backwoods Rose Boutique, Paisley Blues Boutique and J. Walsh Art. Jennifer Wyatt, owner of JM Designs will also offer a live painting experience during the event.

Cavenaugh and Cheyenne Nelson, who is helping with the logistics of the weekend, are working with sponsors like Gearhead Outfitters, Cavenaugh Auto Group, Occasions Publishing Group, Alpha-Lit and Bloomhouse Country Manor to bring the first event of this kind to the City of Jonesboro.

“This market format has blown up across the U.S., allowing non-brick and mortar vendors to pop up more locally and local staples to offer seasonal or more specialty products to a new audience,” said Nelson, the director of strategic accounts for MGME, a meeting and event agency based in New York City. “Holly came to me with her amazing idea to bring a boutique style market to Jonesboro and how could I say no? I support Holly on the logistics side of things, and she is focused on the vendor and attendee experience.”

A focus of the shopping weekend is that all of the vendors are local to Jonesboro and the surrounding areas, emphasizing the need to support small businesses this holiday season.

“This event is to promote local; it is one of the highlights of this event – shopping local and shopping small, supporting small business owners and supporting women-owned businesses,” said Cavenaugh. “This is so important in today’s world where small business owners work so hard to make everything about their business shine. It’s very hard to be self-employed right now, so making an effort to shop small this holiday season is more important than ever. It’s important to have the support of their community around them to support them by shopping small and keeping their money in this area to help support the local economy and nurture their community.”

As a small business owner herself, Cavenaugh wanted to create an opportunity for more small business owners, especially those who are female, to thrive.
“I come by it honestly watching my dad growing up and form his business,” she said. “Small business and supporting small business is a passion of mine because I have been a small business owner since I was young. I understand the hard work it takes to run a small business. It has always allowed me to be with my children while being able to find success in working for myself.
“I am a huge proponent for women-owned and women-run businesses and supporting local. Women have a really challenging time in today’s world trying to juggle everything, often times the vendors and boutique owners in these shows are able to maneuver raising children while running their small businesses.  Working for themselves allows women to take back some of their time to manage it themselves instead of work managing it for them.”

Another way to support the local community is at the event’s Junior Auxiliary of Jonesboro Coat Drive. Shoppers can bring new or gently used coats to donate at the shopping event for a chance to win a door prize. A portion of proceeds from Very Merry Boutique Christmas will also benefit JA.

“This event will hopefully be happening annually with the help of community support,” said Cavenaugh. “We are also hoping for the support and excitement from local businesses to see they are in support of an event like this being in Jonesboro to help stimulate their businesses and shopping local in Jonesboro. As we grow, we will see where that takes us in the years to come. We would love to add a spring event eventually.”

“I think Holly and I are both excited about bringing some unique shopping options to town just in time for Christmas,” added Nelson. “I really love the opportunities we have to highlight local organizations.”

For more information about The Hive Boutique Market and its Very Merry Christmas Boutique event, visit hiveboutiquemarkets.com.