Everyday Celebrations: Heyday connects with community through celebrations
As seen in Holiday Shop 2026.
Located in Bozeman, Montana, Heyday was originally founded in 2007 by Lisa Rickenbaugh. In the beginning, the shop focused on home and furnishings, but it quickly became clear that there was a demand for gifts in the local market. From there, the product assortment continued to grow and evolve, said Mallory Dabney, current owner of Heyday.
“Nearly 20 years later, it’s still guided by the same spirit it started with: celebratory, happy and joyful,” she said.
Dabney first joined the Heyday team as the store manager in 2017. When the opportunity arose, she purchased the business in 2019.
“It’s been a privilege to carry that original vision forward while continuing to grow what Heyday means to our customers and our broader community,” she said.
THE HEART OF HEYDAY
At the heart of Heyday has always been three things: visually inspiring product displays, an investment in its team and a commitment to the community that supports it every day.
“We’ve always believed a small store can be a meaningful community builder, and that philosophy has shaped everything we do,” she said.
In 2017, Rickenbaugh doubled the Heyday’s footprint by remodeling and expanding into the space behind the original store — now lovingly referred to as “little Heyday” and “big Heyday.”
“It was a game-changer finally giving every department room to breathe and really come to life,” she said. “Now, of course, we could use even more room!”
The Heyday team has also grown exponentially. Dabney said there was a time when the sales floor was run by a single associate who had to close the shop just to take a bathroom break. Now, Heyday has more than 30 employees.
On the product side, Heyday’s categories and departments have shifted considerably over the years, moving away from home and furnishings to a true gift store.
“Our product assortment has considerable breadth, and we pride ourselves on staying nimble, constantly listening to our customers, and creating inspiring, curated collections that are fun, energetic and, above all, giftable,” Dabney said.
Heyday has established a reputation as a go-to gift shop in the area and wants every product to reflect that. Dabney said the shop looks to source locally from Montana-owned companies for categories such as bath and body, jewelry and gourmet.
Jewelry is the largest category, while baby is the fastest growing — a segment Heyday is excited to expand on, Dabney added.
“We’ve also built out a Montana and West Collection over the years, celebrating our home state through home goods, tabletop, art, books and more, which continues to resonate with locals and visitors alike,” she said.
HOLIDAYS AT HEYDAY
The way Heyday approaches the holiday season has evolved over the years, Dabney said. When the shop was smaller, the entire team would come together on Nov. 1 to reset the whole store in just a few hours.
“It was equal parts exhausting and magical,” she said. This year, Dabney and the team are looking to start the holiday season earlier than ever before.
“Christmas is certainly the holiday we go biggest on, given its volume and the sheer enthusiasm our customers bring to it,” she said.
Once the holiday merchandise is set, the event that kicks off the holiday season for Heyday is Ladies Night, an annual Downtown Business Association tradition held the Thursday before Thanksgiving where participating retailers, restaurants and bars open doors for a night of shopping and specials. Over the years, Heyday’s Ladies Night has expanded into Ladies Day because the crowds grew too large for even the team to manage in just a single evening.
“It’s become one of our favorite traditions and a real signal that the holiday season is officially underway,” Dabney said. One of the most consistent top-performing products each holiday season is fragrance — think balsam, cedar, Fraser Fir and similar seasonal scents — that are only available during the holiday season.
“For a lot of customers, those scents are deeply tied to nostalgia, and once they hit the shelves, enthusiasts are quick to grab them,” she said.
Beyond fragrance, Heyday looks to build out its table and serveware during the holidays with an emphasis on entertaining: big boards, platters and everything that makes a holiday gathering feel festive.
Dabney said Heyday is a shop of “a lot of littles” so stocking stuffers are right in their wheelhouse.
“Having easy grab-and-go options across every department is key for us this time of year,” Dabney said, adding that kits, particularly in body care and gourmet, also perform well during the holidays.
For other holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and beyond, Heyday creates a dedicated display that captures the spirit of the moment, with corresponding greeting cards, candy and seasonal touches. Dabney added that Heyday is intentional about not over-indexing on products that are too holiday-specific. Instead, the team looks for items that work for Valentine’s Day just as easily as they would for a birthday or any other occasion.
“We’ve learned over the years that when the assortment gets too narrow, so does the customer base, and you can find yourself with a lot of markdowns when the holiday passes,” she said. “It’s a balance we’re always thoughtful about, and honestly, it keeps our floor feeling fresh and shoppable well beyond any single holiday.”
A COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE
As a cornerstone of downtown Bozeman for almost 20 years, the Heyday team established real, lasting relationships in the community. The shop also has a growing tourist customer base, particularly in the summer when visitors come through on the way to Yellowstone and in the winter when the snow brings them to Big Sky or the local mountain Bridger Bowl.
“Over nearly 20 years in business, this community has shown up for us in deeply meaningful ways, and we work hard every day to return that energy through outreach, charitable giving and in-store events,” she said.
Heyday hosts events that are a significant part of its marketing plan each year — a mix of downtown-sponsored and Heyday-originated events. Some of Dabney’s favorites include its Galentine’s Day celebration, in-store Easter egg hunts and seasonal reading corner, hosted by a Book Fairy.
Heyday also sets aside a dedicated budget each year for charitable giving to local nonprofit organizations through product donations or monetary contributions.
“At the end of the day, thriving communities are what allow businesses like ours to grow and flourish, and we feel incredibly lucky to have called this beautiful valley home for so many years,” Dabney said.
She recently made changes to refocus the business and direct all energy back to the in-store experience, a choice she feels is necessary for the long-term health and longevity of Heyday.
The decision has given Heyday more space to explore, think and create while being open for new opportunities to find its way to the shop. Dabney said, “We’re often so quick to fill every nook and cranny of our time and energy in the pursuit of growth and forward momentum,” but it can prevent them from seeing potential that already exists.
“Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is resist the urge to fill the space and instead allow yourself to receive what’s coming. Right now, we’re being really intentional about creating space and are excited to see what comes our way.”
