By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
The Bricks in Downtown Hays hosted the 2025 Bazaar on the Bricks on Saturday to promote various stores and vendors across Main Street to incentivize local economic growth and foster small businesses. Each vendor participated in the annual event to showcase their products and services during clearance sales to mark the occasion.
Various stores across Downtown Hays participated in the Bazaar. 
The Bazaar on the Bricks is hosted in Downtown Hays. 
Courture for Men selling suits outside its store. 
The Bazaar extended to the Downtown Pavilion, where the Downtown Hays Market took place. 
Harvest Hays selling fruit and vegetables. 
Large Legos based on pop culture characters. 
Necklaces and jewelry from Sincerely C Designs. 
Selling pastries under the pavilion. 
Lesly Pfannenstiel sells her items from Sew & Tail Creations. 
Svaty’s Produce selling vegetables. 
Gathering inside the Downtown Hays Market Pavilion. 
A closeout sale at Body + Soul Yoga & Wellness Collective. 
Cadance Hansen dos Reylyn Leiker’s hair outside Brass Rail. 
The Hays Arts Council selling items indoors. 
Hays Public Library gives away free books. 
Sarah Niehaus’ pencil drawings. 
Renee Moritz and Connie Smith represent Women Who Lead while accepting donations for scholarships for female students in Ellis County. 
Selling furniture outside the Furniture Look.
Bricks Executive Director Lee Ann June worked with the vendors to secure their spots and ensure their profit incentives at the event.
“We wanted to get folks Downtown,” she said. “Our mission is to have them come down, enjoy Main Street, and come see vendors that aren’t normally down here while also promoting the deals and clearance sales that the businesses are having. We work with them to create events they want to participate in and benefit them.”
June aimed to show people the diverse market options when shopping in Hays.
“It brings dollars into those businesses,” she said. “It also fosters that sense of community and brings folks to enjoy our town. It’s been a fantastic turnout, too. People are bustling Downtown and have lots of bags in hand, so it’s great to see.”
Sarah Niehaus joined the Bazaar to sell her artwork, mainly of pencil drawings.
“I never know what to do with my work,” she said. “This gave me something to put it towards. A lot of people don’t find the art I do unless it’s at a tattoo artistry place. Here, they’ve taken it, and they really like it because they don’t find a lot of that here.”
Zachary Schaffer, a former Hays resident, came back for a trip to attend the Bazaar.
“I wanted to see the Hays Farmers Market,” he said. “I haven’t lived in Hays for a while, and it’s leveled up since the last time I was here. It’s cool to see that, and I love it.”
He made purchases from multiple vendors to support his former home and was impressed by the support-driven effort Hays made.
“It’s a very positive thing,” Schaffer said. “It definitely gives a chance for the Downtown vendors to make a buck, and it gets people sharing and talking [about it]. It also helps you forge friendships in the community.”