There are expected to be more than a half-dozen Steamboat Springs-based outdoor brands filling Eighth Street in downtown Steamboat Springs this Saturday as part of the Gear Up Vendor Village.

“It’s small, but it will be fun,” said Lisa Popovich, executive director of Main Street Steamboat. “We wanted to do something to highlight some of our local entrepreneurs, and people who are producing some outdoor (recreational) gear right here in Steamboat Springs.”

The first-ever Gear Up Vendor Village will run from 9 a.m. to noon during the street events and will feature FLAYQ Apparel, BAP, BAR-U-Eat, BOLD, Hala, HVNLY Daze Lifestyle Apparel, Outerwear, Link, MilkxWhiskey, Mountain and Company and Town Hall Outdoor, along with Steamboat Soup and Need More Salsa.

Popovich said these are great Steamboat businesses that not everybody has heard about.

The hope is that the Vendor Village will offer a chance for local entrepreneurs to showcase their products to people as they make their way to and from the Winter Carnival street events.

“We’re doing it with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and the (Routt County Economic Development Partnership),” Popovich said. “It’s their entrepreneur group where they have lots of local entrepreneurs that belong to this group, and they welcome any local entrepreneurs to be part of this group.”

She said the group meets once a month to discuss their businesses and work together to learn new skills for promoting their goods.

“It’s a nice way to get some exposure for these businesses that are just starting out,” Popovich said.

She said the goods these businesses sell can be found in stores downtown, but those shopping may not realize that the products are locally created.

“Most of these businesses are sole proprietors, they don’t have any employees and they do everything themselves. They are really at the beginning of their journey, so it’s an exciting way to be able to highlight them.”