There’s a question worth sitting with the next time you find yourself debating whether to drive through Downtown Chico on a Thursday evening, or just order something in and call it a night: what kind of city do you want Chico to be?
“100% Chico is a community-driven, community-run town,” Renee Valducci, who attended the market, said. “Any small town like this is usually going to be small business-minded, roots on the ground kind of thing.”
It’s easy to say that we value the locals. We want to support the farmers who grow produce just outside of town, the makers who hand-craft goods in a home studio and the family-owned food vendors who spend years perfecting a single recipe.
But can many people say that they actually support them? Verbal appreciation doesn’t actually help the businesses; interaction and purchasing goods does.
The Thursday Night Market returns this season from April 9 to September 24, every Thursday from 6-9 p.m. It’s the most accessible event to indulge in intentional and supportive spending. Over 200 vendors set up every week along Main and Broadway, including farmers, artisans, cooks, non-profits and various small businesses.
Every one of them is there because they hold hope that enough people will show up to make it worthwhile and profitable. The calculus is extremely fragile; it takes far more than you might assume to run a vendor and actually profit from it.
Finch and Dove Woodworking Company is one of many local businesses that are set up at the market. Owner Jeremy Gerrad attested to this, explaining that the market doesn’t actually provide much profit for all businesses.
“The fees that we pay to even be here, unless you’re selling food, it takes a lot to even cover that,” Gerrad said. “It’s more about getting our name out there.”
It’s worth being open about what’s actually at stake for local businesses. Small vendors don’t have the margin that larger retailers do. They can’t adjust and absorb a slow season or a string of low-turnout nights the way a chain store would. When the consumer rate drops, they feel it immediately and personally. When they close from lack of business, whether it be a produce stand that doesn’t return the next spring or a jeweler who stops creating, a part of the community is lost that doesn’t come back easily.
Sky High Salsa is another local business stemming from Chico that hosts a vendor at the market. Since the food businesses tend to be more popular, owner Skyler Boles’ tent is typically flexing a long line because of his free salsa samples. Even so, they still rely on the locals as much as everyone else.
“People just need to understand how important it is for business owners to be a part of spaces like these and how hard it is to jump through all the hoops to be successful,” Boles said. “We can’t expect or ask people to come downtown and spend money because there’s plenty to do without doing that, but just being here with samples and seeing other people do it is part of what motivates people to support us and keep their dollars in Chico.”
What makes the Thursday Night Market worth defending is that it has become a rare and steady tradition. It’s a weekly ritual that has become part of the community. It isn’t a corporate event nor a tourist attraction; it’s a space where Chico State students and locals alike come together and support an integral part of the Chico economy.
“If you have the time and you like participating in it, it’s still a good spot to be in,” Gerrad said. “Everybody has a lot of good feedback, whether they buy things or not, so yeah, even if I don’t sell anything it can still be a good time.”
The downside is that an event like this doesn’t sustain itself; it requires people to keep choosing to put their time and effort towards it.
“You don’t get this kind of public interaction from the market in stores, it just gives me a nice positive boost to make me think I’m doing the right thing, it’s important,” Boles said. “It’s just better for me and my business. I’m happy for people to buy Sky High Salsa in stores but it impacts me even more so at the market, I make $2.50 more per container.”
There is also something to be noted in what the market models for the future. When children grow up watching their parents make deliberate choices on where to spend their money, when buying local products is normal and not performative, those habits are passed down.
In that sense, the market is stirring up something besides commerce. It’s reinforcing and preserving a set of values about what a community owes to itself. Everyone says that Chico is a community of small businesses, but it’s truly up to the community to reaffirm and uphold that belief.
This season, the market will feature monthly themes, expanded kids programming, live music and as always, a steadily evolving mix of vendors. The monthly expos are a new addition to the market, featuring Health & Wellness, Outdoor Adventures, Unity Through Diversity, Giving Back to Chico (Non-Profits), Weddings & Events and Pets.
However, none of the antics matter if the community doesn’t steadily show up to support. There are more reasons than ever to make a Thursday evening downtown a part of your weekly rhythm.
“I try to support as much as possible, though I know not many other people do,” Valducci said. “I even try not to go to Starbucks, I’ll go to Upper Crust Bakery before I go to Starbucks any day.”
Help support local Chico businesses and bring your friends and your family to the market. Buy the flowers or buy the cool little trinket you’ve been eyeing. Stop at the pop-up that you’ve never noticed before and try a new food truck.
Understand that what you’re really doing is helping decide what Chico looks like, not in some faraway future, but next Thursday and the one after that.
Aiyana Curry can be reached at [email protected]
