At this particular market, amid fragrant stalls of homemade baked goods and brilliant pops of striking fashions, there’s only one rule for the vendors selling their wares: everything must be 100% vegan.
The Boise Vegan Market, which began in 2024, calls upon vendors from around the Treasure Valley to participate in plant-forward products. Making up the event are eateries boasting vegan food, bakeries, artists, clothing and organizations.
“We wanted to do an event to encourage vegan businesses. There’s not many in the area, so we wanted to encourage even non-vegan businesses to try out a vegan menu,” said Kristina Dixon, the sole-coordinator behind the Boise Vegan Market.
Dixon started the pop-up event with eight vegan businesses in the area, including her own seitan business, Little Devil Plant Based Meats along with her long-time friend Britt Baysinger, the previous owner of Azalea’s Bakery.
“We were so shocked because people really came for the first market, we were all sold out in the first 45 minutes because we weren’t expecting people to come,” Dixon remarks. “Every single market, we’ve gotten more vendors than the last — this next one we have 33.”
Dixon’s plant-based meat business came about after visiting Buds, a vegan sandwich shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. Blown away by the meal, she visited the restaurant’s website and researched their homemade meat-making process.
“I was like, ‘this must be doable if they’re doing it,’” Dixon quipped. “I started making [the meat] myself — and then I got really good at it — so I started giving it to friends and selling it to some people, turning it into a real business — it was only supposed to be a side hustle.”
Vending for Dixon’s market from the very beginning, Alternative Flour Bakeshop operates as an allergen friendly microbakery, selling vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free food. Owner Taylor Houston originally created the custom bakery due to her own food intolerances as a pastry chef.
“I developed food intolerances [later on in life], so trying to find items to match my intolerances was hard — I couldn’t even create a dessert menu and taste it for my last job,” Houston said. “I just want people to enjoy good treats and share the same thing with a family member where no one needs to second-guess if they can eat it or not.”
Originally meeting Dixon and Baysinger at the Boise Farmer’s market, Houston humorously recalls their introduction as a “starstruck moment.” Fast forward to present-day, Alternative Flour Bakeshop is now a brand synonymous with the Vegan Market.
A new addition to the Vegan Market family is jewelry maker Kallee Weisel, an Armenian American who operates Mardirossian Masterpieces. Weisel creates jewelry out of wire pieces, pieces she says, “fell into her lap.”
“I had an auntie of mine that picked up crafts for six months and then dropped them, that’s how I got four boxes of jewelry-making stuff for free from this woman,” Weisel said. Her Armenian heritage also plays a significant role in her craft. Weisel comes from a family of jewelers, something that runs “naturally in my bones, my blood and in my joints.”
The Boise State alumna recalls selling her first pair of earrings to a member of ASBSU, who later wore them to a meeting. From there, Weisel developed an obsession with creating the earrings’ intricate shapes. Within two weeks, she had over a dozen requests for a pair.
“It was insane! I didn’t even have any of my consistent pieces, so I was just making it up as I went — which was helpful for me to find my staple pieces,” Weisel said.
Beyond vegan food and apparel, the market also advocates for animal rights. Jay Jaganaath acts as an organizer for Boise’s chapter of the animal rights group Direction Action Everywhere (DxE). As an animal protection nonprofit, DxE is direct in their approach to investigate facility farms.
“We do a thing called ‘open rescue.’ It’s a tactic where a few people will rescue animals from a facility,” Jaganaath said. “The main goal is to invite a trial, so that it can be used as a way to challenge animal cruelty laws or the status of animals in factory farms.”
Jaganaath sees his stall at the Vegan Market as an opportunity to spread his organization’s message and “build awareness of animal exploitation, requiring a focus on institutions.”
The market’s 100% vegan rule may be a piece of gluten-free cake for vendors like Alternative Flour Bakeshop, as easy as selling your first pair of earrings like Mardirossian Masterpieces and as impactful to a community as DxE. From food and jewelry to advocacy, the market offers something for everyone – including music from a DJ with Tropico FM..
“I’m not personally vegan, but I have a giant stake in our community here in Boise — that is honestly as important to me as the radio show and the music,” said Ian Hooyboer, also known as DJ Dystop.Ian.
The eighth Boise Vegan Market will be held at the 36th Street Event Center on Sept. 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.. The event is open to the public, whether attendees are vegan or not.
“Literally everyone is welcome,” Dixon said. “Most of our vendors aren’t even vegan-operated, but they see the value in our community. I’m definitely proud of this, especially not knowing much about event planning and winging it, but always pulling it together — feels pretty good.”
