On a winter morning in late February, the Idaho State Capitol takes on a different rhythm. The usual formality of the building gives way to conversation. Voices echo upward through the Rotunda, tables fill with locally made goods, and people linger—not because they have somewhere else to be, but because they’ve stopped to listen.
That scene returns on February 25, 2026, when the Buy Idaho Capitol Show marks its 32nd year. From 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., more than one hundred Idaho-based businesses from across the state will gather inside the Capitol, turning one of Idaho’s most recognizable civic spaces into a place for connection and exchange.
What has always set the Capitol Show apart is what it isn’t. There are no transactions, no checkout lines, no hard pitches. Instead, visitors are invited to meet the people behind Idaho-made products and services, sample local food, and ask questions—sometimes simple, sometimes deeply practical—about what it takes to build and sustain a business here. The result feels less like a trade show and more like an introduction, or perhaps a reunion.
For the organizers at Buy Idaho, that tone is intentional. For more than three decades, the show has been about visibility and access—creating space for small businesses to be seen and understood without the pressure to sell. Standing behind a table, explaining how something is made or why a service exists, remains one of the most direct ways to connect.
“The Buy Idaho Capitol Show is a powerful reminder of the impact that small businesses have on our state’s economy and communities,” says Jennifer Mauk, Executive Director of Buy Idaho. “Shopping local strengthens Idaho by keeping dollars in our state, supporting jobs, and fostering innovation. This event gives people a chance to see, taste, and experience the incredible businesses that make Idaho unique.”
That experience plays out differently for everyone who walks through the Rotunda. Some come looking for new local favorites. Others arrive with students in tow, using the day as a living lesson in entrepreneurship and career possibilities. Many simply wander, letting conversations unfold naturally—learning how a business began, why it stayed small, or what challenges come with choosing to remain local in a changing economy.
After 32 years, the Buy Idaho Capitol Show has endured because it reflects something steady about the state itself. It values relationships over transactions, presence over promotion. For one winter day, in a building meant for public life, Idaho’s small business community tells its story in person—quietly, honestly, and face to face.