Do you enjoy craft fairs?

I like the idea of them, but I start to dislike the crowds after shoving through them for a while.

I don’t attend a lot of them, but yes I do enjoy them. My local state park puts on an old fashioned Xmas weekend in the park where you can visit the recreation of the 49ers Goldrush Xmas, with everyone in period costume, vendors preparing old fashioned faire such as jerky and stews and muffins and roasted Chestnuts and cookies, pies and cakes.
Their are lots of handmade crafts from local artisians. Last year I bought several handmade wreaths and an Alpaca wool hat. Always a good time. :-)

You really love this festival, huh? Lol.

@Blackberry I do! ;-)

I would probably like a t-shirt fair featuring designs that slander my name if only it were in Hawaii and I was strolling around in the sun with my beach shorts and flip flops.

I love them but I try to avoid them, otherwise I would spend money I shouldn’t be spending.

Most of the craft fairs in our area are during the months of August and September.

I enjoy the really quality ones, whose works are worthy of the title: art. Every town near me has one every year: Art in the Park; Arts Festival; Wine and Art; etc. They are fun to go to see the people more than the usual crafts. They have a celebratory atmosphere that I like.

One man’s crafts are another man’s junk.

I love them. The crafts fairs around here are mostly in the fall. We start early in the morning to avoid the crowds. I mainly spend my money on the fantastic junk food, funnel cakes, roasted corn, homemade ice cream. I know, I’m horrible.

@chyna I just discovered a brand of vegetarian corn dogs that are amazingly good. OMG! Fair food at home now. :-)

I love them! In our town, we have our “Marigold Festival” every September. One of the big events is called “Art in the Park” where crafters from all over the US set up booths around the lagoon in the center of town. It’s so much fun! There are hundreds of booths and lots of great food! I look forward to it every year.

In our area, we also have the “Spoon River Drive” ... in the outlying “country” towns. People come from all over to drive the route through various little towns where there are little craft shows set up. More wonderful crafts and food! That’s also in the Fall.

When I was 8 through 12, my parents’ family friends were artists. One artist couple had their own kiln and antique store—I have many good memories of playing carefully in the antique store, looking at old daguerrotypes of babies not realizing they were most likely death-photos, reading yellowed documents and remember making crazy clay figurines that mysteriously never got fired.

Twice a year the street where the artists lived hosted a huge art festival, about 6–8 blocks long of 3 rows of vendors. I absolutely loved the festivals, looked forward to them and was allowed to walk around with just my friend looking at all the arts and crafts created. Looking back, it has had a huge and lasting impact on me.

Yes, I love art festivals and perk up when I see one. If you didn’t know about my childhood, I’d sound totally weird when I say that I get a kind of sense of relief…‘aaahhh….’ when I go to festivals :)

There isn’t one in my town, but a few towns over, yes. Our farmer’s market has a few arts and craft vendors, but it’s not the same vibe. Has anyone ever been to Whitefish, MT’s farmer’s market?? It’s like a weekly art festival!

Jeez, well come on over to my house everyone. I’m thinning the herd of stuff around here and have tons of hand crafted stuff from artwork to gourd drums to treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Yard sale @Colomas house soon. :-)

Do craft beer fairs count?

@Rarebear Yes they most certainly do! Mmm handcrafted ales! :-)

Depends on the fair. If it is truly people presenting their own crafts, and they are quality, I like them. If it is people who have bought the goods elsewear and are just displaying them for sale at the fair, I am not so keen on it. I do like them for the community aspect. Seeing what my neighbors are creating, and a reason to get out of the house and walk through town, or wherever the craft fair is being held.

Actually no…...no I don’t.

and @ucme effectively calls ” it’s a wrap” on this Q. lol ;-)

I love them. Unfortunately, everything is so expensive that I am left coveting things in a terribly unrequited way. I like the furniture and the wood and glass crafts especially much. People create such beautiful things. It’s amazing! In my alternate life, I want to be a glass blower.

@Coloma No do carry on, I insist.

I do but I haven’t been to one in a long time.

As long as there are quality goods on sale I love them. You can find some really quirky pieces. I don’t like the ones that are filled with crap though and seem to be aimed at grabbing the tourist dollar.

Sigh, I haven’t been to any craft fairs since I left the east coast. There are craft fairs, but the lovely outdoors on a hot summer day kind don’t exist around here. I’ve also been consistently scheduled to work the weekends the local craft fairs are held, so it’s been years and years and years. Your question makes me miss them. And the Merrie Monarch festival sounds wonderful.

I love craft fairs. Renaissance Festivals can be doubly good: great crafts and entertainment, and you can walk around with a beer or wine in your hand.

I love good craft. Actually I don’t know the difference between craft and art, I think they are one and the same. (I am not fond of koala bears made out of sponge with a magnet on the back to stick on the fridge, I don’t think that is art or craft!)

I am new here so don’t really know when the good markets are on, I will find out as time goes on. When I find one I like, I will probably sell my carvings and paintings there.
@Bellatrix – Eumundi markets were always my favorites, when we went regularly, about 8 or 9 years ago, the quality and creativity of those displaying their wares was outstanding. Have you been there?

Oh yes. My husband doesn’t like going there :-) That’s one of my favourites. And then lunch in the pub. Bit of a drive so we don’t go up there too often. It is a lovely day out though.

The markets near the river and at Southbank are quite good too. There are heaps of farmer’s markets now around Brissy too.

Where are you now @Rooey?

Northwest of Melbourne freezing my butt off!!! I love being close to a real city again though. Melbourne is a fantastic place, reminds me of DC. Plenty of markets around I just haven’t had time to suss them out yet. I love it around Geelong, there must be some good ones there.

Have you ever been to Mindil Market in Darwin? That is my favorite of all time. Not that much art just electric atmosphere and fantastic sunsets on the beach. Guy there plays 4 amplified didges on a rack, he is white fella but all the black fellas love him, everyone is dancing. Do a search on youtube for Emdee or Mindil and you will see what I mean.

Sorry Jake, I did it again, I am always derailing your questions, but it is still about markets and art and craft! Do you forgive me???

@rooeytoo : There’s nothing to forgive. :-)

@rooeytoo, I haven’t been to Mindil Beach but my husband has. He has also sung its praises. It is on my list of places to visit. He has spent a lot of time up in the NT and FNQ. He also used to go to New Guinea often.

Melbourne is lovely. I love to visit and we usually take off to the Mornington Peninsula or down the Great Ocean Road once our work is over. So many great places to visit in the city too. I like to go to Brunswick Street and look in the stores down there. There is an artists fair down there too. St Kilda also has a market at the weekend that was okay. There is (was) a weekend market right in the city near the river as well. I can’t remember exactly where it was but it has had some really great paintings exhibited there the last couple of times I saw it.

Glad you are having fun down there anyway. I have noticed on the news it has been cold. It feels like winter is well on the way up here already. Crazy weather.