THE Bathurst Winter Festival activities will expand on Friday with the start of the online markets.
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Replacing the street markets, the 10-day event will help small local businesses show and sell their products to community members.
While COVID-19 has impacted the winter festival, mayor Bobby Bourke said it was important to maintain as many aspects as possible.
"We've seen a lot of activity move online and knew the markets could still happen in this format," he said.
"Providing a platform for market stall holders is important to the economic benefit to the businesses and encourages people to buy locally."
Among the stallholders is M&J Designs, a business started by friends Mandy Hotham and Jess Wheeler.
"Both being mums, and all other mums could agree, during pregnancy you go through a stage of 'nesting' and your creativity comes to life," they said.
"This was when Mandy learnt macrame three years ago and Jess has always enjoyed her photography and art her whole life.
"Together we thought we would collaborate and create M&J Designs and see where things went."
M&J Designs offers a range of products, including macrame wall hangings, pot plant hangers, mandalas, paintings and fine art prints photographed around the community..
"Our products are suitable for special gifts or simply that piece of decor for your home," they said.
This is not the first time Ms Hotham and Ms Wheeler have been part of the winter festival, having attended the last two as stallholders, and they have embraced the opportunity to be part of the event again.
"With no street markets on, we thought it would be a great opportunity to expand our virtual market and help support our local community," they said.
The Bathurst Winter Festival website will list the market stalls in one place. People can click through to stallholders' websites, view their products and make a purchase.
