Vintage boutique barn market, the only one like it in Wisconsin, comes to Door County

FISH CREEK - Clothing and accessory makers, vintage shops, boutiques, specialty foods, and artists and artisans aren't hard to find in Door County.

However, finding 80 of these types of vendors and more from all over the Midwest in one place, along with food trucks, live music, workshops and classes, would be unique not just on the Peninsula but across all of Wisconsin.

That's what Misty Nagan said about The Rusty Coop, a special two-day marketplace she is organizing to happen Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, at Door County Cherry Hut on the south side of Fish Creek.

The Rusty Coop brings together elements of art fairs, antique malls, pop-up markets, farmers markets and festivals in what Nagan calls "a 'boujee' vintage barn market," using an urban slang term for something or someone appearing a little upscale, to attract visitors not just for a few hours but hopefully all day, both days.

Nagan will be one of the vendors as well – she's the owner and designer of SilverWear by Misty, creating jewelry and wearable art from vintage silverware. As part of the business, she not only sells her work online but also travels from her home in De Pere to art fairs (including the Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair held this past weekend), farmers markets and other such events across the Midwest where she can display and sell her wares.

Among those events she's attended are larger, upscale, vintage boutique markets that bring vendors from all over, and Nagan loved them so much, she was inspired to organize a similar market in Wisconsin, which she said hadn't played host to one before.

"I've been traveling around the U.S. selling my art, and I've gone to these amazing shows," Nagan said. "We don't have anything like that in Wisconsin, so I wanted to bring a little taste of that to Wisconsin. … I want people to experience the magic that I get to go to."

This weekend's Door County event is the second Rusty Coop Nagan has put together. She co-organized one in June 2021 (with Kim Iwen of Queen Bee Handmade Soap in Algoma) at Kewaunee Heritage Farm that attracted more than 2,000 people to check out the products of 40 vendors from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

This year, Nagan has twice as many vendors lined up, 80 all told, including all of those from the Kewaunee market, she said.

"(The 2021 vendors) said, 'Misty, you just have to do it again,'" Nagan said.

Consequently, she expects to draw twice as many visitors as did the Kewaunee market, especially since it had a popular debut run and it's now located on a main Door County highway just as the tourist season is kicking into gear.

"Now people know about it, and it's right on the highway," Nagan said. "There should be, minimally, two times the people."

The wide range of vendors will offer goods such as clothing; jewelry; antique and vintage items; botanical and health products; art; and specialty foods such as cherry products, maple syrups and barbecue sauces.

Along with the goods from the vendors, The Rusty Coop also will offer yoga classes both days and Saturday workshops in glass blowing (by Burnt Bluff Stone & Glass in Fish Creek), watercolor painting, building a charcuterie board and determining the right size and fit for a bra. There is a separate fee for these and preregistration is suggested, but the market's admission fee is included in the price.

Besides shopping, visitors also can dine out at three area-based food trucks (Sergio's Mexican Street Food from Ephraim, Sonny's Pizzeria of Sturgeon Bay, Son of Skaliwags from Algoma) and find gelato, coffee drinks, craft beers from event sponsor Bridge Up Brewing of Sturgeon Bay, wines and juices.

Also, fun photo stations will be set up. Live music will be provided Friday evening by reggae group Unity the Band, Saturday morning by local blues-rocker Cathy Grier and Saturday afternoon by Rob Anthony.

The market also will help those in need. A portion of admission proceeds go to the Ellie Helm Foundation, a Door County-based organization supporting educational opportunities and positive life skills for youths, promoting awareness of depression and preventing suicide among young adults, and bringing connections and engagement to the elderly. Also, donations will be accepted for Feed and Clothe My People in Sturgeon Bay.

It's all to make The Rusty Coop a memorable event, one Nagan plans to be an annual happening that people will make sure to mark on their calendars each year.

"I want it to be so it's like every year, people say, oh my gosh, I want to go, there's so much to do and so many vendors, I want to go both days," Nagan said. "My hopes and expectations are that people just have a good time and are excited for it every year."

FYI

The Rusty Coop takes place from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 2, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Door County Cherry Hut, 8813 State 42, Fish Creek. Admission is $5 for ages 13 and older; those participating in workshops or classes have admission included as part of their workshop fees. For more information, including a list of vendors, visit silverwearbymisty.com/the-rusty-coop.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Unique boutique, vintage shopping comes to Door County for two days