Utica is no stranger to artisan vendors.

The village at the Interstate 80 gateway to Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks hosts vendors at events and festivals, such as the weekly Canal Market, Antiquin’ Weekend and more than 350 artisan vendors filling seemingly every nook and cranny of the village’s downtown during the October Burgoo Festival.

However, what if a dozen of them settled into a long-term residence on Mill Street from May 2 to Dec. 21?

That’s sort of the idea behind the Market on Mill Retail Plaza.

Housed in air-conditioned and heated 10-by-10-feet huts around a greenspace, a dozen retailers sell everything from freeze-dried candy, custom-made hats and alpaca wool products to homemade pickles and handmade crochet items, among many other products. The shops are selected to create a diversity of products, making a market where clothing, treats, gifts and decor can be found in one space, along with products for men, women, children and pets alike.

Market on Mill is modeled after similar mini market plazas, such as the Batavia Boardwalk Shops, Berwyn Shops and McHenry Riverwalk Shoppes. The shops serve as retail incubators in the hopes the businesses will move into larger storefronts, allowing for more retail growth in the community. They also create increased shopping options for visitors to connect with small artisan retailers in an anchored location.

Although Utica’s shops are seemingly small, a variety of items are stocked and shelved on multiple levels to create the sensation of shopping a full store – with each shop showing off its own personality.

The market is built on a lot once devastated by a tornado that also sat on a flood plain, allowing the village to provide more attractions to the north of its downtown area. With the vendors adjacent to the outdoor dining setup on Mill Street, the combination creates a months-long festival atmosphere, minus the massive crowds.

“I like that the shops are diverse and unique,” said Marissa Hazell of Hazell’s Headdress, a custom wood-burned hat store found in Unit 10.

There are yard games, such as cornhole (bean bag toss) and Nerf archery set up on the lawn for families to play, plenty of picnic tables to take a break from shopping or stop for a bite, drinking and container fill-up fountains and public restrooms.

Visitors can stroll the sidewalks of Market on Mill to peruse each of the shops. They are set up in two rows on each side of the greenspace, creating a loop for walkers to see each hut no matter what direction they start. Festive lighting is strung above the greenspace.

The market is open from noon to 4 p.m. (optional hours) on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

For more information about the Market on Mill, go to Market on Mill’s Facebook page.