Why Local Craft Shows and Festivals are a Great Place to Shop

Summer time and Fall holidays are a great time to visit local craft shows and festivals to find unique primitive country home decor. 

I don't know about you, but in my neck of the woods, we have several annual shows that attract people from miles around. Artisans, crafters and vendors gather their wares and set up a space at the event and showcase their specialties. 

Find Something Unique

These festivals can be a great place to shop for yourself or for someone on your gift list. Often times you will find unique one-of-a-kind handmade treasures that can not be duplicated at a big box store. And it's very rewarding to be able to support local artists as they display their gifts and talents. 

Over the years, we have had lots of experience at setting up a booth at these local shows. However, we were no longer able to keep attending shows when Primitive Star Quilt Shop began to grow. Over the years, we found it was too hard to manage online orders and travel to set up our booths at the same time.

Our Christmas Open House

In the past, my husband and I (okay, so I actually planned and executed everything, but he was helpful to lift heavy things for me and very gracious to let strangers walk around the house!) have even hosted our own show. We called it our Christmas Open House. We invited lots of other craft vendors and opened our home to the public for three or four days. Friends, family and community members would bring their shopping list and enjoy browsing through 7 rooms of our home in search of a new treasure!

Memories From Back in the Day

I have been taking a stroll down memory lane the last couple of weeks as I have chosen to set up a booth at the little country church that I grew up in this weekend. While this is out of the ordinary for us, it has been fun preparing. I am looking forward to meeting new people and catching up with some old friends. 

While reminiscing our "show days", I got out some old albums and wanted to share a few pics with you. These are shots from back in the early 90's as well as some from around 2006 and 2009. 

1990 Craft show
 
Show 1990
 
Open House 1990
 
Show 2006 
 
 Show 2009
 
Show 2009

 

 What Are Your Memories and Experiences?

Do you have festivals or craft shows in your area? Are there any special treasures that you have found while shopping these events? We would love to hear from you!