Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique Celebrates Spring

by Zoe Baden | Apr 2024

Photos: Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique

Visit a seasonal marketplace featuring handmade goods from local vendors.

Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique has been around for over 40 years, but 2023 marked its newest chapter. “It started as a collection of friends who were talented crafters in a basement and just kept growing and growing to what it is today,” says co-owner Jillian Kotz. “It’s always been a collection of makers and businesses in the Twin Cities and just continues to evolve as time passes and new owners come in.”

Kotz and fellow owners Krista Vanderveren and Pamela Kadrlik have taken over the biannual Centennial Lakes event, welcoming over 60 vendors for its spring boutique. “We have local food vendors, hand-sewn goods galore, candle makers, clothing boutiques, painters, woodworkers, macramé, paper goods, crocheted items, handmade jewelry, home décor and so much more,” Kotz says. “It’s a one-stop shop for gifting whether for yourself or others.”

Jillian Kotz describes the atmosphere of Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique as, “Welcoming, fun and unique!”

We sat down with Kotz for more insight on what the April 12–28 marketplace has in store.

Edina Magazine: Since your family took over Candleberry On The Lakes in 2023, how has the bi-annual boutique market changed?

Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique (CLB): One thing we really wanted to bring a focus back to was locally-made and sourced goods. We’ve made a huge effort to bring in new and fresh local vendors to appeal to a broader audience, incorporate fun events throughout the boutique timeframe, and strive to make the boutique a place where shoppers feel welcomed and appreciated.

Are there any first-time vendors for the April 2024 market who are bringing something new to the table?

CLB: We have about 10 new vendors this year, and we are so excited for all of them to join us. We have a few new local artists in the mix, Allison Marie Design and Bev Beckman to name a couple. We also have adorable crocheted stuffed animals from Knotty Nurse Margo, so she’ll have some fresh goodies for kiddos. Another vendor we’re excited to add is Lisa West Pottery out of Rosemount. We’ve been wanting to add a local ceramicist for a while and have fallen in love with her style of pottery. There is lots of great stuff to see this season.

Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique

When adding vendors to the market, what are some of the factors you consider?

CLB: Some of the factors we consider are if a vendor is local, whether their products are handmade (this is not a requirement, but we want to keep a majority of the products handmade and local goods), if the products are unique and something that we don’t already offer, and if our shoppers would resonate with the goods.

In addition to the market itself, there are special events planned. Can you tell us more about those?

CLB: We have a few special events planned this season that are going to be really fun! We have shop “happy hours” on Thursdays (April 18 and April 25) where you’ll find some amped-up product samples from food vendors, book signings, a make-your-own earring station, some special pop-in vendors, sparkling beverages and treats to enjoy while you shop.

In addition, we have a few food makers that will be at the boutique—Northwoods Flavorful Fluff is joining us on April 20 and Nordic Bakester will have her sourdough goods a few times throughout the boutique. We highly recommend following us on social media to stay in the know or just check out our website for all of the event info.

We’ll also be open during the Arbor Day Tree Planting on April 26, so we’re excited to welcome folks in after they’ve planted some trees in the park.

Any concrete plans for the October 2024 market at this stage?

CLB: At this point, we have set our dates for October and we’ll be back in the pavilion from October 18–November 3 to kick start holiday shopping season.

Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique