Pocatello event promises day of fun, shopping geared toward women
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POCATELLO — The What Women Want Expo and Vendor Market will bring together local small businesses for an afternoon of shopping, food, drink and fun.
The event’s organizer, Nikki Waliser, puts on several similar events every year — including The Spring Soiree, Christmas at The Yellowstone, February Sip N’ Shop and numerous small pop-ups. The newest addition to her event calendar, the What Women Want Expo, like the others, shows Waliser’s commitment to helping her neighbors.
“I’m kind of obsessed with helping the community and driving the community support and awareness,” she told EastIdahoNews.com. … “If we can keep the money in our community and support these small businesses, why not do it?”
The expo will run from 11 a.m to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 29 at the Mountain View Event Center — 1567 Way to Grace Avenue in Pocatello. As part of her mission to boost local businesses, Waliser explained, each of her annual events are hosted at a different venue — shining a light on those venues along with the vendors who participate.
Admission to the event is free, and early arrivers will have the option to purchase one of 85 $5 “swag bags,” featuring items from many of the vendors involved.
But the event is about so much more than shopping.
The expo will bring together things that many locals — specifically moms — want to do but may not have the opportunity. There will be a company offering windshield repairs and car detailing, along with the mobile mammogram bus providing exams.
Waliser said that, in her years of working with local business owners and vendors, she has heard several times how the Pocatello area lacks events geared towards women.
“So, that’s, kind of, where the idea came from,” she said. … “We’ll have things that moms can’t generally get out and do.”
One of the things moms are wanting to do more than they at times are able to, she added, is just enjoy a day out with friends.
“It’s not just a day about shopping, it’s a day about getting out with your friends and having fun,” Waliser said. … “As parents, there’s really not a lot to do without your kids. We want to get out and have fun, but still be home in time to put the kids to bed.”
With fun in mind, drinks — both alcoholic and non — will be available from a booth run by The Yellowstone Restaurant, with food at another booth run by Palate Bistro.
Waliser hopes this expo will become the latest of her annual events. The goal, she explained, is to host three or four such events every year — every three or so months.
For information on other similar events hosted by Waliser, follow The W Group on Facebook — here.
The next such event will be the Business Women of Pocatello cornhole tournament this Saturday, June 15.
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