Beginning Friday May 2 through Saturday, May 3, Fargo will host its eighth Junkin’ Market Days, a curated event and market for small businesses.
At the event this year, visitors can find food trucks, boutique clothes, jewelry, shabby chic home decor, rustic furniture, vintage, antiques, candles, gourmet foods, and more!
But how did this event come to be? It turns out the answer to that question and many of the other aspects of this business are quite interesting.
When?
Friday, May 2 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where? Veterans Memorial Arena: 1201 7th Ave E, West Fargo
Cost?
$5 (12 and under free)
Coupon?
Discount code “BOGO” for Buy One Get One Free admission
Website?
junkinmarketdays.com/tickets
Junkin’ Market Days Founder Kerry Bamsey
How & Why it Started
The founder of Junkin’ Market Days, Kerry Bamsey and her husband were small business owners themsevles who were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, as were many of the vendors they knew.
“Vendors had to do twice as many events just to make up for lost income during the pandemic,” Bamsey said. “These events are crucial for small business owners who have products to sell. During COVID, most shifted to online sales since everyone was shopping from home. But now, the online space is oversaturated, making it harder for small businesses to compete—especially boutique clothing stores, which face overwhelming competition. Many of these vendors have seen their online orders drop by 90-95%, so getting in front of customers at in-person events is essential. Another key aspect of these events is the personal connection these events offer. When customers attend, they get to meet the makers, hear their stories, and learn about their products firsthand. That’s a completely different experience from ordering something off Amazon. Customers become more invested in the makers and their businesses, knowing their purchase is directly supporting someone’s dream. For many of these small business owners, this is their full-time income, and they are constantly finding ways to get their products in front of people.”
So she started the first Junkin’ Market Days event in 2021 in Sioux Falls, SD. Fargo had its first event later in the fall of that year. But how did she get people to buy in so quickly?
“It kind of happened by surprise. I had been attending larger events in places like Minneapolis, and I wanted to bring something similar to Sioux Falls… That first event is always the hardest to get people to commit to. What I did was travel to events in multiple states, meet people in person, tell them about the business and the event, and personally invite them. That face-to-face contact makes a huge difference—people feel much more comfortable… Because of those personal connections I established, I was able to hold the first event in Sioux Falls with 120 vendors, and literally thousands of customers attended,” Bamsey said. “I knew that if it worked in Sioux Falls, it would work in Fargo because the community is great at supporting small businesses. When I hosted the first event in Fargo in the fall of 2021, I couldn’t believe it—thousands of people showed up to support. That’s just how Fargo is; they want small businesses to succeed.”
The Business Structure
Bamsey still runs and promotes the events in Sioux Falls and the Fargo events which take place every spring and fall. However, their are about 30 events a year in multiple states including: Arkansa, Illinois, Kansas,. Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and, of course, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“We are in multiple states because I teach women how to organize events in their own communities,” Bamsey said. “We do this through a license agreement. Essentially, these women are renting or leasing a territory for a set period of time and paying a fee. In return, they receive training on how to run the event, along with all the branding, website setup, and other essential tools. This saves them a lot of time because, as an event promoter, you have to handle everything— accepting payments, marketing the event, managing vendor applications, contracts, and more. All of that is already figured out for them. I provide the platforms, train them, and even attend their first event with them.”
New for Fargo in 2025
“This year, we’re focusing more on creating an experience. That means incorporating live music, food trucks, and a sip-and-shop atmosphere,” Bamsey said. “We’re also looking at adding demonstrations and make-and-take activities, making it more of an interactive experience rather than just a shop-and-go event. The number of vendors has grown, and I’ve also brought in multiple vendors from other states, which introduces new and exciting products to Fargo. We’re seeing a lot of trends, like permanent jewelry and hat bars—whether it’s trucker hats with emblems or cowboy hats with burned-in designs. I actively seek out vendors with unique items and limit them to just one or two per event to reduce competition. The goal is to continuously bring in fresh selections and out-of-state vendors to give the Fargo community a compelling reason to come shop.”
Interested in attending?
Head to: junkinmarketdays.com/tickets
Facebook | /junkinmarketdays
Instagram | @junkinmarketdays
