Nevada City Winter Craft Fair at Miners Foundry on December 15

KNOW & GO
WHAT: Nevada City Winter Craft Fair
WHEN: Sunday, December 15, 2013
WHERE: Miners Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City
TICKETS:$3
INFO: www.minersfoundry.org

The Nevada City Winter Craft Fair returns Sunday, December 15, 2013 to the historic Miners Foundry Cultural Center in downtown Nevada City, CA. The bi-annual independently, juried craft fair showcases Northern California’s top Etsy vendors, artisans, do-it-yourself crafters, and it features their unique, handmade, original and repurposed art, clothing, accessories, jewelry, and house wares.

Attendees can also expect to find letterpress, paper and stationery items as well as children’s things, toys, ceramics, body care products, and more.

The fair began in the summer of 2010 by a group of local young crafters, artists and social do-gooders who were inspired by the independent entrepreneurship and creative talents in their community as well as the success of the Renegade Craft Fairs across the United States and Europe. The inaugural one day event attracted more than 800 attendees and continues to grow.

“The Nevada City Craft Fair is a hip shopping event that features over 60 emerging artisans and makers from the Nevada County area and beyond,” explains the event’s producer, Carabeth Rowley. “Many of these vendors sell their goods in Sacramento and Bay Area boutiques. We also have vendors who show at the esteemed Renegade Craft Fairs.”

Rowley herself an Etsy crafter, owned the seminal Grass Valley store Lay Swing before she began selling almost exclusively online and at Northern California boutiques. She credits the events success to the use of social media with helping to spread the positive word of mouth.

LOCALS ALSO REPRESENTED

This year alone, over 200 vendors applied and were carefully curated by Rowley who finds herself always inspired by the new artists and makers. Local Nevada County businesses represented in this year’s fair include Neva Co., Prettywell, S.O.A.P, Full Circle Press and Kiya’s Naturals.

“I have been a vendor from the very first fair,” says Kiya Rios, owner of Kiya’s Naturals, a local retailer who makes Waldorf inspired wooden toys and more for children. “I simply love the Miners Foundry and the way the Nevada City Craft Fair brings it to life with an array of unique and inspiring handmade items.”

After a full day of shopping, sustenance is much needed, attendees can enjoy a full no-host bar, along with food and drinks by Holy Mole Organic Mexican Cuisine, Mexican food made from scratch and using only organic ingredients, and Fable Coffee, a specialty micro-roaster serving; fresh, small-batch, single-origin, coffee varietals, roasted in the Sierra Foothills.

Make it a weekend. This year The Nevada City Winter Craft Fair falls on the same weekend as one of Nevada County’s most beloved holiday events, Victorian Christmas. Victorian singers, bagpipers, living nativity scene, visits with Santa Claus, vendors in costume, hot roasted chestnuts, and hot cider all happening downtown historic Nevada City, Sunday December, 15.

The Nevada City Craft Fair opens at 10 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. Victorian Christmas opens at 1:30 p.m. and runs until 6 p.m.

—By Jesse Locks for Miners Foundry Cultural Center
Photo by Akim Aginsky

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Follow us on PinterestFollow us on Pinterest