ALTON - A local businesswoman is hosting a Galentine’s Experience vendor fair to highlight woman-owned businesses, women’s wellness, and more.
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From 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at Post Commons in Alton, community members can engage with local vendors offering a variety of products and services, from IVs and vitamin injections to a menopause station to piercings and permanent jewelry. Attendees are encouraged to learn more about women’s wellness while supporting these women-owned businesses.
“I wanted to bring together local businesses and create something meaningful in the community,” said Mandie, owner of True North Aesthetics Co. “All of it is just to really hopefully pour back into the community.”
The Galentine’s Experience offers a “pretty diverse” list of vendors, including a makeup artist, a baker, a tattoo artist, an event planner and more. You can visit the official Facebook event page for a full list of vendors. Mandie said each station is interactive and allows attendees to ask questions about their products and services.
The event will also serve as a toiletry drive for Oasis Women’s Center. Attendees are encouraged to bring an item to donate.
A silent auction, basket raffle and 50/50 drawing during the event will raise money for a new nursing scholarship through Lewis and Clark Community College, sponsored by True North Aesthetics Co. Mandie, a nurse, emphasized the importance of offering a scholarship to students who care about making a difference.
She noted that the event’s purpose is to help others. Mandie shared that she was once “a woman who had nothing,” and she appreciates the people who helped her. Now, she wants to do the same.
“I didn’t get where I was without other people,” she explained. “I’m grateful for those who helped me get to where I am, and I’m in a position now that I can hopefully pay that forward and help someone else who needs that little extra so they can get where they dream to be. It’s all about community. When we take the time to pour into others, everyone rises together. We don’t do it alone.”
As a new business, True North Aesthetics Co. aims to give people the boost they need to feel their best. Mandie is open about her own challenges fitting into the esthetics world. It’s her hope that she can provide esthetic services that are empowering and affordable.
“Esthetics didn’t come naturally. I wasn’t someone who already felt confident and beautiful and couldn’t wait to get into that industry,” she remembered. “I wanted to be an approachable, comfortable space that anyone felt like they could walk into and not feel judged, that they would immediately feel accepted and comfortable.”
Through her time in the esthetic industry, Mandie has found that people truly benefit from True North’s services. She hopes to take this a step further with the Galentine’s Experience on Feb. 7. Beauty, health and wellness will be at the forefront of the event, as well as supporting women-owned businesses and organizations like Oasis Women’s Center.
Just as Galentine’s Day serves as a chance to honor female friendships, Mandie believes the Galentine’s Experience will bring people together and uplift the community. She encourages people to come out on Feb. 7 to experience it for themselves.
“What I learned during that journey is, when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you show up. You stop hiding and you kind of come out,” she added. “You just show up differently for others and how you carry yourself and how you move through the world. So with esthetics, I want to be able to help other people feel good about how they look, because it transforms into how they carry themselves in their day to day…I just hope everybody comes out and shows support and brings a toiletry item.”
For more information about the Galentine’s Experience event, visit the official Facebook event page. For more information about True North Aesthetics Co. and their services, visit their official website at TrueNorthAestheticsCo.com.
