SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — On Friday and Saturday of this week, you can visit over 130 vendors at the Exposition Building at the Illinois Sate Fairgrounds. The market signals the start of the holiday shopping season for many small businesses across central Illinois. 

"It's a great way to market what your store is all about and to reach a new customer base," said Suzy Schwartz, the Owner of District Designs based in Quincy. "For the shopper, if they are really drawn to merchandise like this, it's nice to have everything all in one building instead of getting in the car and driving." 

Schwartz said events like this are crucial for small businesses that might not have consistent income through the year. While she sells furniture and vintage items, the market has a variety of items available. 

The United Staes Chamber of Commerce says for each dollar spent in the community, 67 cents stay in the community. But, when you shop at big box stores, that number drops into the single digits. 

"The vendors that are here could be your neighbor, it could be somebody you work with or go to church with and they are local people who will reinvest back into the own small community center where they're from," said Schwartz. 

The market pulls vendors from across the Midwest, but the some of the money bounces back to Springfield because vendors sleep and eat in Springfield while the market is in town. 

"These are people who live in small villages all over the Midwest, and so you can feel good that, you're helping their kids have a great holiday, you're helping them support their dreams," said Holly Snelling, the owner of Hobnob Market. "So it's not going to some nameless, faceless corporation."

The Hobnob Market is open Friday from 4-8pm and Saturday from 9-4 p.m. 

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