From Market on Main to Main Street
I am not a morning person, but I have grown to love our early Saturday mornings at Market on Main. I love the people, the energy and watching our community come together, but I especially love seeing what happens after a vendor packs up their booth and heads home. Because sometimes, that little market booth is just the beginning.
The goal of a farmers market is pretty simple: create a place where local farmers can sell their produce. But for many Main Streets, a farmers market can serve a much bigger purpose. The goal for Market on Main was to bring people downtown, give local farmers, makers and small businesses a place to share and sell what they do, and create another reason for people to spend time in Downtown Blue Springs. Over the past couple of years, I have watched some of our vendors take what they started at Market on Main and turn it into something more.
Last year, one of those businesses was Olive & Clay Creative Co.
Meet Olive & Clay Creative Co.
Kirsten Henriquez started her business online in 2021, making handmade Christmas wreaths. Over time, she added polymer clay earrings, permanent jewelry, candles, accessories, gifts and more. She joined Market on Main and began building relationships with customers and other vendors while learning what people responded to, what products she enjoyed making and what it really takes to run a business.
After the 2025 market season wrapped up, Kirsten opened the doors to her first brick-and-mortar location at 1103 W. Main Street.
Moving from an online business to a storefront came with a whole new list of things to learn. Inventory, taxes, product tagging, marketing, content creation, website management, cleaning and all of the behind-the-scenes work that customers don't always see. But Kirsten was ready for it.
For her, Market on Main was part of the journey. It gave her a place to meet people face-to-face, test products, build confidence and get a better feel for what it would be like to have a physical business. And now, as we come to the end of the 2026 Market on Main season, we have another business making that same leap.
Meet Remedy & Refill
Susan Chase opened Remedy & Refill in July 2025 after years of learning about herbalism, including hands-on study with a local master herbalist. What started with an interest in foraging and herbalism grew into a business focused on herbs, wellness, sustainability and a refill model for everyday products.
Susan spent much of last year traveling to holiday markets around the Kansas City area. Going into 2026, though, she wanted to focus closer to home and build a local customer base. That's when she found Market on Main in Downtown Blue Springs. She was looking for a Saturday market and came across ours while searching online. She liked the location, the feel of the market and the idea of being right in the heart of a community.
She quickly became one of those vendors you noticed. Susan was often one of the first people there in the morning and one of the last to leave. But more importantly, she was using the market to learn. She tried new tea blends and flavors. She tested a blend-your-own-tea concept, sunprint bags and different hand soap scents. She listened to customers and paid attention to what people were interested in.
And people kept asking her the same question.
"Where is your store?"
That question, along with steady sales and the relationships she was building, helped Susan realize that maybe she didn't have to wait until the end of the year to take the next step. With a little help finding the right space, she found her home at The Shoppes on Main. Remedy & Refill is now open at 710 W. Main Street, Suite C, and today, September 12, Susan is celebrating her grand opening from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If you haven't met Susan yet, today is a great opportunity to stop in, see what Remedy & Refill is all about and get to know the person behind the business. She wants customers to leave with more than a purchase. She wants them to learn something, whether it’s about herbs and their uses, herbal teas or simple ways they can make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives.
There is a little Market on Main connection built into today's celebration, too. Susan will be offering cake pops from another Market on Main vendor, Rylie's Delights. She hopes to continue bringing products from local vendors into her store, especially during the months when the outdoor market isn't happening.
I love seeing those connections continue beyond the market.
Not every Market on Main vendor is looking to open a storefront, and that's okay. Every entrepreneur has a different vision for their business. We are simply happy to provide a place where they can try an idea, connect with customers, learn and grow. And when they are ready to take that next step, we are here to help support and guide them.
Kirsten and Susan are two very different entrepreneurs with two very different businesses, but they have something important in common. They showed up, connected with people, learned along the way and were ready when the opportunity came.
That is what I hope Market on Main continues to be for our community. A place to shop, connect, discover something new and maybe even find the next step for your business.
Congratulations to Susan on the grand opening of Remedy & Refill, and to Kirsten on everything Olive & Clay Creative Co. has accomplished since making the move to Main Street.
I can't wait to see where the next Market on Main story takes us.
5.0 (2 Reviews)
Downtown Blue Springs
5.0 (2 Reviews)
801 NW Vesper
Blue Springs, MO 64015
816-598-4343
www.downtownbluesprings.org
Mon
9:00am–4:00pm
Tue
9:00am–4:00pm
Wed
9:00am–4:00pm
Thu
9:00am–4:00pm