Get the Scoop on Up-and-Coming Crafters at Show and Sell
Taking place at Construction Junction, the spring pop-up market from Handmade Arcade will feature 30 local makers selling home decor, clothing and art.
soap dishes by Blip and Branch
Handmade Arcade, Pittsburgh’s largest independent craft fair, is turning 15. To celebrate, the nonprofit is hosting a spring pop-up market at the place where it all began — Construction Junction in Point Breeze.
“Our very first one was in that space,” says Jennifer Baron, Handmade Arcade’s director of marketing and outreach. “We thought it was a great way to celebrate our grassroots history and our DIY history.”
Made up of 30 up-and-coming crafters from across the region, Show and Sell takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27. The event, which is part of Construction Junction’s ongoing Earth Month celebration, features handmade home decor, jewelry, accessories, clothing, bath and body products and original artwork.
“We have people waiting anxiously for Handmade Arcade, which is so popular during the holidays, so it’s nice to do something halfway through the year,” Baron says of hosting a second pop-up market.
Baron adds the team behind Handmade Arcade also created Show and Sell after gauging an interest — and a need— for a smaller show from first-time vendors who might be intimidated by applying for Handmade Arcade, which has grown so large through the years that it now takes place every December at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.
During the application period, which was capped to a few weeks, Baron estimates close to 200 first-time crafters vied for 30 spots in the juried Show and Sell, which also featured a reduced vendor fee. She adds that because the vendors are emerging makers, shoppers can expect lower price points on the products being sold at the show.
“We were thrilled to see such a great response of really talented makers out there,” she says. “Most of these people are starting out, or maybe they sell at one shop, or maybe just on Etsy. It really is a great way to meet some of the newest crafters.”
Nervous Thread Embroidery by Jillian Weeks
Attendees at the free event also can make original zines with Pittsburgh Zine Fair and create found object wearables with the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.
Don't be afraid to come hungry. Show and Sell will have on-site food and beverage trucks such as Blackberry Meadows Farm, Zeke’s Coffee and the Pittsburgh Pierogi Truck. Crafted Apple, a special collaborative release from Handmade Arcade and Threadbare Cider, also will be sold at the show.
