This blog was first published by West Slope Startup Week on September 17, 2025.
Looking for your next favorite artisan-crafted necklace, ceramic creation, or herbal remedy—or maybe just a good excuse to hang out with creative geniuses from across the Western Slope?
Meet us at the Night Market.
For the first time ever, the Rural Creative Collective is hosting a Night Market during West Slope Startup Week, October 6-10 in Durango. And trust us, it’s not your average pop-up. We’re bringing together 20+ rural artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs for a one-night celebration of all things beautiful, useful, and built with heart.
What’s the Night Market?
It’s part gallery, part marketplace, part block party. From handcrafted goods and original artwork to wellness products and creative services, the Night Market is where you can shop local, meet the makers, and experience the pulse of Colorado’s rural creative economy.
In addition to the rural creative showcase, the Night Market will also feature Startup Colorado’s Artist in Residence, Dundee & Lee, who will display their larger than life fiber sculpture, TOM MIX WEPT.
The Night Market is the genesis of the Rural Creative Collective. Launched in 2024 as part of the Startup Colorado Community, the Rural Creative Collective was created to meet the urgent need for sustainable business resources tailored to rural creative entrepreneurs. Built on the belief that art is essential to rural ecosystem building, the Night Market is one of the ways we’re making space for rural creatives to be seen, supported, and celebrated.
The Night Market is about more than what’s for sale. It’s about connection, creativity, and the radical idea that supporting rural creatives doubles as an act of self-care.
Join us at the Night Market
Come explore, show, and celebrate rural creativity with us!
Tuesday, October 7th 2025
5:30pm – 7:30pm
The Powerhouse in Durango, CO
Meet the Vendors
We were blown away by the number of incredible applications we received from across rural Colorado. It was a competitive process, and we’re so proud to highlight the businesses selected for this inaugural Night Market:
ASH LUZ Jewelry
Locally handmade fine jewelry by Shaheen with ASH Luz Jewelry that is sustainable, colorful, and crafted with love to illuminate your unique style! Shaheen uses traditional jewelry techniques to create pieces that illuminate your style. What started as a love for crafting meaningful, handmade jewelry has grown into a space where beauty, connection, and creativity meet.
Instagram / Facebook / Website
Bear Balm Inc
Bear Balm is an all natural, all purpose balm handcrafted in Durango to make skin and lips feel nourished. Created by carefully infused oils, herbs, and beeswax, each jar is made with intention and small-batch care. What began as a family remedy has grown into a beloved local product, sold at farmers markets and crafted to bring natural wellness into everyday life.
Instagram / Facebook / Website
Byers Ranch Apothecary
Small-batch apothecary rooted in the Colorado wild. Handcrafted on their homestead, every small batch begins with wildforaged or homegrown botanicals, using only raw plants and pure essential oils to deliver skincare that is as powerful as it is pure. Using locally foraged herbs, farm-grown botanicals, and carefully sourced ingredients, each product is designed to connect people to nature’s healing traditions in a modern, approachable way.
