Springing into Summer

Market Madness

Jul. 3

Makers North Collective Spring 2023 Market Wrap Up

The 2023 Spring Handmade Market has come and gone and we gotta say, what a blast! It’s always a pleasure to see familiar faces, meet new makers and see what market veterans have been up to. We tried some new ideas and learned a little bit more about making this a fun and inclusive space for all to come together in celebration of handmade culture in the north. We’re so proud to be able to share the work of these fabulous creators and it brings us so much joy when we hear our makers and supporters had a fabulous day. Not to brag, but here’s a few words from one of our Spring market makers:

“You two ladies and your team of helpers worked so hard to put together a fantastic event! There were so many small touches that made this the best market I have attended by far! The little stickers for us, the makers lounge (incredible), your presence on social media. Honestly you’re a rockstar duo that throws an amazing and unforgettable event! Thank you both for such a wonderful time :)”

— Anonymous feedback from a spring maker.

Every year and every market is a completely different experience, which is surprising since it’s just a craft show right?

Wrong!

After each event, Julieanne and I get together and compare notes for what we can change, improve and shake up for next time. This includes surveys from our makers and a public survey to hear from our attendees and get an idea what their experience was like. Considering everyone comes from such diverse backgrounds it’s important to us to get input from as many folks as possible! That said, from our perspective, things went surprisingly smoothly all day long. Generally speaking there are always moments where we are running around like crazy trying to put out fires and make sure everyone is happy. It must be because we’re approaching 10 years of doing this that we finally have the ability to chill out and enjoy the day, whether or not it all goes according to plan. We even got photos of ourselves for once! If you know us, you know that’s a big deal.

The thrill of receiving a surprise swag bag!

Overall, we had a fabulous day! Hosting it later in the year (thanks to a surprise last minute surgery for yours truly) did make the afternoon attendance a bit lower because you just can’t beat a gorgeous Northern Ontario sunny afternoon. Thanks to our community we still raised over $1100+ for Rainbow Camp and couldn’t be happier that it will help send an LGBTQ2S+ youth to an inclusive, loving summer camp.

OK, that’s enough from me, on to the fun stuff and pictures from our lovely day!

Live from the Market!

We did a couple new things that I’m really happy about and hope to grow these initiatives in the future. First up, we had two sets from some fantastic Sudbury based musical duos: Jessy & Malik and Tim Tam Slam! It was so fun to have live music floating throughout the venue and even more fun to support Northern Ontario’s music scene. Definitely check them out if you want some good musical vibes!

“It was lovely seeing the smiles on people’s faces shopping for handmade goods and stopping to enjoy our music too! It brings me a lot of joy to be a part of this community!”

— Jessy Brunette Music

The Makers North Collective KID ZONE

Next up, since the market was later in the year we knew it was bound to be a sunny one which could make for a hot line up filled with bored kiddos! To help combat the boredom, we set up a tent for shade and a bunch of fun activities for the littles. From a bean bag toss to bubbles, colouring & side walk chalk we had some big adorable smiles outside! This is definitely something we will be expanding on in the future to include fun stuff for the parents too.

Special thanks to our volunteers & sponsors!

We have to take a moment to highlight our incredible volunteers and sponsors. This year they truly worked hard, showed up big time and filled us up with love and support.

MAKER PARTNERS

**The Indecisive N Things**
It was such a treat to get to know Jayda from The Indecisive n Things as a first time maker at our Spring Market. Such a sweet and genuine person who made everyone who stopped by feel so welcome. Thank you Jayda!

**Joyful Home**
We are always happy to have Joyful Home take part in our markets because they hold a close spot in our hearts. They are truly keeping their founder Diana’s dream alive in the most beautiful way and we are so proud to share their work. Thank you Alicia & Cory!

PARTNER SPONSORS

Duplicators: Printing. Signage. Engraving. Scanning

Duplicator’s has been with us from the beginning and they’re one of those local businesses that are absolutely full of heart! From printing gorgeous signage like the pop up banner above, to the last minute projects that we inevitably sneak in at the last minute every market. They even do them with a smile! The best customer service and incredibly knowledgeable staff make them our FAVE printer in the north. Huge thanks to Duplicators for showing up for handmade and for us every dang time!

Stitch & Stone

We love love love working with Stitch & Stone as our fab swag bag sponsor! They bring the magic in every way and have created an inclusive space in the north for all. Gabe is a HUGE supporter of handmade and even has many of our makers products in her shop and shares them with her audience online. She’s the type of entrepreneur who opens doors for others and helps others grow whenever she can. It’s fabulous and we appreciate everything they do for us!

VOLUNTEERS

Our markets wouldn’t be what they are without the help of these generous and darling people. Even though our family are voluntold, they still do it with a big smile and the promise of many free dinners in the future! Actually, I think I owe my dad a couple as we speak!

These smiling faces at the front door always make coming to the market a joy!

A look at our happy day!

I’ll wrap things up with a little selection of photos from the Spring 2023 handmade market. Big thanks to everyone who helped make this day such a fun and joyful celebration of handmade!