Entry No. 69 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: hands-on
MatchBox Candle Co.
A working candle company in Old Colorado City that lets you pour your own custom candles with a professionally trained candle maker guiding the hour-long session. You blend from the shop's scent library — matching a bestseller or inventing your own combo — and pour into either two 9 oz amber jars or one large 16 oz leather-wrapped jar. At $49.95 a person it's an accessible, low-pressure make-it date in a real production studio rather than a pop-up.
The story
Before Jeremy Nosbush and Tyler Pate built MatchBox Candle Co. into a West Colorado Avenue fixture, the business was nothing more than a home-pour project making holiday gifts for friends and family. When recipients kept demanding refills, the founders took their 100% soy wax candles to local markets before establishing a permanent production studio in Old Colorado City.
Unlike slick craft-bar franchises that tuck you into rented backrooms with pre-mixed synthetic sprays, MatchBox operates as an actual working production space. During the hour-long workshop, you sit among the shop's active fragrance library—spanning earthy, woodsy, bakery, citrus, and zesty oil profiles—while a professionally trained candle maker guides you through fragrance math and temperature timing before you pour into either two 9 oz amber glass jars or a 16 oz leather-wrapped vessel.
What it's like
Stepping off West Colorado Avenue hits you immediately with a thick, shifting aroma of melting soy wax and essential oils from ongoing bench work. The class moves at a steady clip as you sniff through scent profiles, calculate oil ratios, and pour warm wax under an instructor's eye. The house rule is strict: show up 15 minutes late without warning and your $49.95 spot is forfeited. The move for a date night is blending scent combinations specifically for each other, leaving you with matching custom jars picked by your partner's nose.
The move: Blend your own scent combinations and pour matching custom candles to take home from each other's choices.
📍 Before you go ~1 hour, $49.95/person, book ahead online; arriving 15+ minutes late without notice forfeits the reservation.
- 📍 Old Colorado City
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2511 West Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Michael Garman Museum - Magic Town — Walk two minutes down West Colorado Avenue after pouring to trade clean soy scents for Michael Garman's gritty, holographic miniature alleys.
- Meraki Springs — Double down on Old Colorado City maker culture just a block away with hands-on leather carving or resin workshops.
- 22nd Street Clay — Swap warm soy wax for wet clay half a mile away with a private pottery lesson on 22nd Street.
Good to know
How much does a candle-making session cost?
Workshops are $49.95 per person, which includes all raw materials, professional guidance, and the finished candles you take home.
What vessel options do I get to choose from?
Each ticket allows you to pour your custom blend into either two 9 oz amber glass jars or a single 16 oz leather-wrapped jar.
What is the late arrival policy?
You must book online in advance, and arriving 15 or more minutes late without prior notice results in forfeiting your reservation.
What ingredients are used in the workshop?
The studio works with 100% soy wax paired with concentrated fragrance oils split into earthy, woodsy, citrus, bakery, spicy, and floral scent profiles.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visitcos.com · siouxfalls.business
last checked: 2026-06-23