Find out which craft shows are taking applications

Meet new customers at a craft show!

Figuring out how to meet and greet your future customers is a process that takes time and persistence. Craft shows are a great way to put your work in front of potential customers and to get feedback on what’s working and what isn’t.

Using craft shows for market research

This is, by far, one of my favorite ways to do all kinds of market research. How are people describing my work? What words can I turn into product copy on a website? What questions are they asking that I should be ready for?

I put together a list of shows in the US that have attracted many artists of all stripes and that have simple online applications. This is far from a vetted list – some of these shows I have done, others I haven’t. Some have been suggested by my newsletter readers, cohorts in the craft industry, or were recommended by shoppers.

And I’d love to hear about any I may have missed in the comments! Drop a link to the applications or just the name and location and I can do the rest. Specifically, if you have fairs in the Southwest/Mountain states, I am missing a lot of resources for that region.

USA craft shows by region

West Coast

• West Coast Craft hosts multiple shows each year in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Some shows are one day, some are two.

• Renegade Craft shows happen all over the US including Seattle, San Francisco, and LA

• Operate a business in San Francisco? Are you a member of SF Made? They host an annual craft and maker show. Membership is free with this org for businesses operating in San Francisco.

• Headwest Marketplace hosts craft shows all over the Bay Area including Alameda, Los Altos, Berkeley and San Francisco

• Girl Gang Craft hosts craft shows in multiple cities including Oakland and Sacramento

• In Todo Craft Fair hosts craft shows in Los Angeles.

East Coast

• Renegade Craft shows happen all over the US including NYC and Brooklyn

• Girl Gang Craft hosts craft shows in multiple cities including Salem, MA and Providence, RI

• Charm City Craft Mafia hosts a holiday show and other shows as well.

• Art on the Avenue in Alexandria, VA gets great reviews from vendors!

• Bethesda Row Arts Festival in Bethesda, MD is a fine art and craft show

• Wayne Art Center CraftForms – Wayne, PA is a fine art juried exhibition. Applications are managed via CaFÉ.

Midwest

• Renegade Craft shows happen all over the US including Chicago

• Art Fair on the Square in Madison, WI. A long-running fine art and craft fair. Applications typically open more than 6 months before this show, so add it to your calendar for next year!

• Ann Arbor Art Fair in Ann Arbor Michigan is a long-running fine art fair with applications opening far in advance of their shows.

• St. Louis Art Fair in St. Louis, MO has been going for 30 years. Applications open far in advance of the show.

South/Southeast

• Indie Craft Experience in Atlanta hosts a handful of shows each years and has been running since 2005

• Coconut Grove Arts Festival in Coconut Grove, Florida has been going for 60 years!

Southwest/Mountain States

• Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver – one of the larger fine art and craft shows in the US, applications for this show are accepted very far in advance.

Alternatives to craft shows

The humble farmers market is, in my opinion, one of the more underrated venues to find customers, build your email list, and test your products, while also making some sales!

Why sell at a Farmer’s Market?

Farmer’s markets are typically less expensive to rent a booth compared to craft shows. They do tend to take place earlier in the day and some crafts may not do as well there, but testing it out could lead you to interesting places, so give it a shot!

Need to know your best sales goal and calculate your budget for a craft show? Get my mini course complete with calculators and guidance!

Do you have a craft show that you love to shop at or if you’re a vendor, do you have a show where the sales have been amazing? Let me know the name and region in the comments and I’ll add it to the list!

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