Douglas County artists join World Cup marketplace at Union Station
Eleven Douglas County makers landed a spot at Union Station’s World Cup marketplace, turning Kansas City’s biggest summer tourism stage into a sales opportunity.
Douglas County artists and craftspeople are stepping into one of Kansas City’s busiest World Cup showcase spaces, where handmade goods, local branding and tourist spending are expected to collide at Union Station. Eleven creators from the county were chosen for the City of Entrepreneurs Marketplace, a five-week pop-up designed to put local businesses, makers and entrepreneurs in front of World Cup crowds.
The marketplace opened June 11 and runs Thursdays through Sundays through July 12 at Union Station’s Grand Plaza and Grand Exhibition Hall. Kansas City said the activation is free and public-facing, part of a broader effort to place local talent at the center of one of the region’s biggest tourism moments. Visit KC says Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, and the tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, giving local vendors a long summer window to chase sales and new customers.
The Douglas County group is participating through The Collective Heart Creative, an Ottawa-based collective that began in January 2026. Dawnua Dawson, a founding member, said one of the group’s goals after being selected was to bring as many artists as possible into the opportunity. She also said the participants range in age from 9 to 77, giving the market a multigenerational mix of products and stories rather than a single style or demographic.
The Douglas County makers include Aimee Omohundro of The Clever Bat, Evan Johnson of Fred Paper Co., Buck Bradley of Buck’s Honey Bee Company, Ruth Hawkins of Little Hawk Farm, Wendell Pohl of 8 Mile Creek Designs, Cody Bonham of Block and Knife Crafts, Liz Bonny of Harvestry by Hand, Roxie Lytle of Not Quite Wild Creations, Mary Walthall of Paintings by Mary, Jessie Kessler of Shady Street Sunglasses and Deja Mackey of the Yarn Barn. The collective says its artists work in disciplines that include handmade paper goods, found-object art, handmade jewelry and hand-painted accessories.
For small businesses, the upside is not just immediate sales. A single run at Union Station can put Lawrence and Douglas County names in front of visitors who may later order online, commission custom work or remember those makers for future events and corporate purchases. Omohundro said she was thrilled about the opportunity and hoped it would showcase Lawrence talent to new audiences.
The collective also brought a community art installation titled What Fills Your Heart? to Union Station, adding another layer of visibility for the Douglas County contingent. For local creatives trying to turn a global tournament into lasting business, the marketplace offers a rare chance to convert World Cup traffic into repeat customers and future contracts.
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