Cowgirl Collective draws shoppers to downtown Merrill

Boots, hats, and shopping bags were the theme for the evening at several businesses in downtown Merrill along East First Street Friday evening, Oct. 16, 2026, during the Cowgirl Collective, a shop-local event featuring women-owned businesses and guest vendors.
Auntie Ray’s Coffee House, Sczygelski Farm Products, Emerald Studio Hair & Beauty, and Plain & Simple Boutique hosted the event from 4 to 8 p.m. The hosts set up vendor booths inside their shops so visitors could browse each store’s regular merchandise alongside the guest vendors’ goods.
Twisted Wildflower returned with its personalized hat bar, where shoppers designed their own cowgirl hats and accessories. Artists from Imperial Tattoo offered western-inspired tattoos.
Other vendors included The Milk Merchant, Lush Beauty Studio, Homestead & Thread, The Fragrance Lab, Stillwater Pine Massage, Gracie Links Jewelry, Darlene’s Beautiful Bakes, Corl Candle Co., Made Modern, J. Evelyn Designs, Luna Glo Candle, Studio Lee Creations, Honey Held Functional Textile Art, and The Allure Edit.
The same collaborative spirit carried across the street, where Shady Acres Market, 809 E. First St., held its fall open house as a companion event during the same hours. Shady Acres offered fall treats, specials, and a free make-and-take fall craft. The Cowgirl Collective organizers encouraged their visitors to stop in at Shady Acres, as well.