Mountaineer Days 2025: Two Days of Magic, Memories, and Momentum

This year’s Mountaineer Days was one for the books. From prepping the booth to planning raffles, fun little discount games like our Dice Duels, and getting our inventory ready, it felt like the days leading up to the event were gone in a blink.

Before we knew it, it was 4 AM—time to stumble out of bed, grab some breakfast, and load up the last few totes (thank goodness we packed most of it the night before). By 6 AM, we rolled into town and found our spot for the show. Right across from The Village Grind (our favorite local coffee shop) and dead center in the street—prime real estate for a weekend like this.

We got everything unloaded and started the transformation: pop-up tent, grid walls, product displays… the works. Two hours later, we were ready to roll.

And let me tell you—there were fewer vendors this year, which worked out in our favor. But man, it was hot. Being in the middle of the street under full sun didn’t help, though we were blessed with a breeze that kept things from feeling like last year’s sweat-fest.

Here’s a little vendor tip: Full tent walls are great for aesthetics and making your products pop, but they can turn your booth into a sauna. Azura (smart as ever) made the call to fold the walls, creating a backsplash while leaving the tops and bottoms open. It kept our setup looking sharp and let that lifesaving breeze flow right through. Huge difference.

The day itself? Incredible. We had a steady flow of customers from morning till close—lots of returning faces from last year, plenty of first-timers who came back more than once, and a ton of conversations with people who just loved what we’re building. We made new friends, laughed with old ones, and shared our vision for Recharge Café.

As 5 PM rolled around, we started shutting down, but not without a little drama. Near the end of the day, someone was walking around taking pictures of every booth—including ours. Maybe innocent, maybe not. But having a gut feeling (and being no strangers to sketchy situations), we decided to pack up 99% of our stock and take it home. Turns out we weren’t the only vendors with that vibe—better safe than sorry.

Day Two: Even Hotter—But So Was the Energy

Day two kicked off strong with an even steadier stream of customers. It felt like every time we looked up, someone new was stopping by—or someone from the day before was coming back for “just one more thing.”

We spread the word about our mission to open a permanent shop here in Wrightwood. The response? Overwhelming support. People kept saying, “We need a shop like this in town!” and “When are you opening? How can we help?” That kind of love and excitement lit a fire in us. Writing this now, I can still feel it.

Toward the end of the day, something unexpected happened—we were asked for an interview for social media! It felt surreal talking about Recharge Café, our story, and our dream of building a home for gamers, families, and adventurers right here in town. It was a moment that reminded us how far we’ve come and how much further we’re going.

We even picked up a few more donations for our “Claim Your Seat at the Table” drive. Every single person we spoke with fueled our determination to make Recharge Café a reality.

The day never really slowed down, and as evening came, we stayed open an extra hour just to chat with folks who didn’t want to leave. But eventually, with social batteries drained and heat exhaustion setting in, we said our goodbyes, packed up, and headed home.

No Rest for the Wicked

Back home, there was still work to do—unpacking, taking inventory, and prepping for new stock to flood in. Exhausted? Definitely. But so, so happy.

And one more bit of exciting news before I sign off: we were able to get an update about one of the locations we have inquired about getting for our shop! But more on that next time… 😉

Stay tuned, Hoardlings. Big things are coming.