Chico artisans and creators have a new outlet to showcase their goods.
A new market will launch on Saturday, April 5. It will be a weekly showcase of handcrafted goods, food and community engagement.
The market will feature an array of handmade products made by community members, from vegan baked goods from Adrianna’s Bakery to stained glass art from Bree Glass Studio.
“My number one goal is to get that small business owner a place to sell their wares at, somebody who maybe ... this is just a hobby, but they want to take it seriously one day."- Sammey Zangrilli, creator of Your Local Marketplace
Small business owner and event planner Sammey Zangrilli believes the new market will be more than a shopping destination and provide a platform for entrepreneurs to express themselves.
“My hope is that this will give that small business owner an outlet for their dream, hope and hard work,“ Zangrilli said.
She says she created the new Saturday market to shake up the traditional marketplace scene.
“We specialize in added value products and added value vendors, meaning that they have taken things and made something new,” Zangrilli said.
There’s an application to sign up to be a vendor.
“My number one goal is to get that small business owner a place to sell their wares at, somebody who maybe this is just a second job for them,” Zangrilli said. Maybe this is just a hobby, but they want to take it seriously one day, somebody who can't afford a storefront or can't afford the markup fees of putting it in a store.”
She said the market wants to honor people dedicated to their craft and curating one-of-a-kind products.
“One thing that we do require from our vendors is that your products be unique and or handmade, or, if you tend to buy from a country that you have a relationship with, those people or that factory,” she said. “We discourage just buying from Temu or Shein and then reselling.”
Zangrilli's roots and business experience in Chico
Born in Sacramento and raised in Amador County, Zangrilli attended Chico State intending to study ceramics.
“I wanted to be an artist, I thought it was going to be easy, but I didn't really have originality of thought, so I found it difficult to create the projects,“ Zangrilli said.
She would forgo that path and eventually graduate with a degree in environmental politics.
“I just started to really hone in on living an environmentally friendly life, as I like to call it,” she said.
After graduating, Zangrilli joined the GRUB cooperative, a community of 14 adults and several children.
“It was intense, it was wonderful always to have somebody to hang out with or discuss something with,” Zangrilli said.
The community practiced nonviolent communication, which helped Zangrilli better her communication skills. Members shared expenses for bills and food and had to agree on where their food was purchased.
Their food choices were guided by five principles: seasonal, local, bulk or a known origin story.
“It really got all of us to really understand where all of the things we use every day came from,” Zangrilli said.
There, she began her event planning and farming career.
Zangrilli's entrepreneurial journey began with TurkeyTail Farm located in Yankee Hill, which she and her husband established 15 years ago.
“Farmers markets in general, there are certain rules where you can't sell your fresh produce next to your added value products, so it created a bit of a challenge for us because we're farmers, where our philosophy is nothing goes to waste.”- Sammey Zangrilli, creator of Your Local Marketplace
Their shared passion for farming, nurtured during their time at the cooperative, led them to embrace unconventional agricultural practices, focusing on livestock and mushroom cultivation.
“I just loved taking care of the animals and taking care of the land and being a steward practicing regenerative agriculture,” Zangrilli said.
She began taking on additional responsibilities at the farm, such as going to markets and marketing their products. However, she still had leftover produce at the end of the day, so she decided to find other ways to sell it. They also produce value-added goods.
“Farmers markets in general, there are certain rules where you can't sell your fresh produce next to your added value products, so it created a bit of a challenge for us because we're farmers, where our philosophy is nothing goes to waste.”
Frustrated with the current system, she used her background in event planning and her network of small businesses in Chico to start seasonal pop-up markets in 2022.
That led her to create this new market. She said the ultimate goal is to continue supporting small local businesses and giving back to the community that has supported her.
“Being a small business owner, I need to keep my thumb on the pulse of what's going on with the neighborhoods, school systems, and the happenings, if you may, around town,” she said. “That's what really keeps me involved. I also want to provide my customer with the best product possible.”
