FAQ

What is Crafty Supermarket?

Just the most rad indie craft show Cincinnati’s ever seen! Here’s a brief history:

Nov. 21, 2009: Our first show at the Northside Tavern had 20 craft vendors and more than 1,000 shoppers.
April 17, 2010: Our second show, at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center had 50 crafters and 1,600 shoppers.
August 1, 2010: We hosted a free screening of the documentary Handmade Nation in conjunction with Fabricate.
Nov. 20, 2010: Our third show, at the CCAC, had more than 50 crafters and attracted 2,100 shoppers.
May 7, 2011: Our fourth show had 55 crafters and attracted 1,700 shoppers.
Nov. 19, 2011: On our second anniversary, our holiday show attracted more than 50 crafters and 2,500 shoppers.
May 5, 2012: Our sixth show had more than 50 crafters and 1,500 shoppers.
Nov. 17, 2012: Our third anniversary show, at the CCAC, drew more than 50 crafters and 2,600 shoppers.
April 27, 2013: Our eighth show had 55 crafters and 1,650 shoppers.

Our next show is slated for Nov. 23, 2013, at the Music Hall Ballroom downtown.

How much does it cost to attend?

It’s totally free and open to the public!

What is indie craft, anyway?

We’re glad you asked! See this blog post for a little info on indie craft.

Where is the show?

Crafty Supermarket’s spring show is at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center in the Gaslight District. The address is 3711 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220. It’s right at the corner of Clifton and McAlpin avenues. Learn more about the CCAC here.

The 2013 holiday show will be at the Music Hall Ballroom at 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. It’s right next to Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine.

I want to help out at the show — can I do that?

Yes! Volunteers help us out in two-hours shifts on the day of the show and the night before. Volunteers hand out show programs, help craft vendors and shoppers, and are generally indispensible. Email us to learn more.

I sell food — can I be in the show?

We have a limited number of spots for food vendors. Email us to learn more.

I’d like to sponsor Crafty Supermarket!

That’s awesome! Contact us to learn more.

I’m a member of the press and want to do a story about Crafty Supermarket. Who do I contact?

Just e-mail us! We would be happy to talk to you. And we have lots of on-camera experience in case you’re looking for a lively TV segment.

Can I get on your mailing list to find out about new events?

Absolutely! Just click here to sign up.

Where do I mail stuff for your swag bags?

We give away 130 swag bags to the first lucky shoppers of the day and our volunteers. If you’d like to contribute any promotional material you have (such as postcards, stickers, buttons, coupons, flyers, etc.) please send 130 pieces to us by April 15, 2013, at: Fabricate, 4037 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45223.

FAQ FOR CRAFTERS

How can I sell my crafts at your show?

We haven’t yet finalized application details for the November show, but will be posting that information in July or August.

Keep following us on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for our e-newsletter to get notifications!

How much does it cost to be a vendor?

Details for the November show haven’t yet be finalized. The table fee for our spring show was $95. The table fee includes a 8′x2.5′ table and two chairs. There’s a nonrefundable application/jurying fee of $10 that counts towards the table fee. When you submit your application for our show, the form will automatically take you to PayPal to pay the application fee. (If you need help using PayPal, refer to PayPal’s help page here.)

Why do you charge that?

We have a jurying/application to cover administrative costs of advertising for and jurying a large event like this. The table fee helps cover our costs of venue rental, table rental, promotions, printing and supplies, plus the scores of hours we spend putting together each show. Our table fees and application fees are on par with other major indie craft shows in the region, and they help us ensure that our vendors have a great day of sales!

What kind of crafters are you looking for?

We like indie crafters, designers, artists, DIYers and other unconventional makers creating original and handmade goods. As long as you made it yourself, we will consider it! Check out past shows’ vendor lists to get a sense of our style:

Note: We do not allow mass-produced items in the show. No direct-sellers, social-sellers or other resellers will be accepted. This includes Avon, Miche, Thirty-One, Silpada and the like.

Can I share a table with a friend?

Sure! Just mark that box in your application and include the person’s name, business name and website. Two businesses applying to share a table only have to fill out one application together. No more than two craft businesses to a table, please. Also note that your acceptance for the show is nontransferable—if we accept you as a vendor, you can’t give your table to someone else or add a friend who wasn’t included in your application.

How big is the booth space?

We use 8′x3′ tables, and although crafters are welcome to bring their own tables or displays, the displays have to fit within the space of our standard 8′x3′ table. (There is space behind the table for the vendor, but it can’t be used for the display.)

Does every crafter who applies get into the show?

Because we receive so many applications, we can only accept a small percentage of them to be vendors. We consider a lot of things in the judging process, including price range, originality, quality of work, overall style and how many vendors are selling similar objects.

Being accepted for past shows doesn’t guarantee acceptance in future shows. Likewise, if your application was rejected from an earlier show, it doesn’t mean you’ll never be accepted! We try to rotate out vendors to make each show’s roster at least a third new people.

We’re sorry, but we can’t offer feedback on whether your crafts will be accepted before you apply. Check out our previous shows’ crafter lists to get an idea of what kind of stuff we like!

I missed the deadline! Can I still apply?

We get hundreds of applications for the spots in our show, so we can’t accept any late applications. If a vendor drops out, we select alternates from the pool of people who applied before the deadline. If you want to apply to be in our next show, be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for our e-newsletter. We broadcast all our upcoming opportunities in all those places!

If you get so many applications, why don’t you make the show bigger?

We love the space we’re in, and we want to ensure that our crafters have a great day of sales, so we feel like 50 crafters is the sweet spot for us right now. We may expand in the future, though!

How do you promote Crafty Supermarket?

Lots of ways!

We send out e-newsletters to our mailing list of more than 1,700 fan, and send out updates (and occasionally buy promoted posts) on Facebook and Twitter.
We post the event to online calendars and event listings for the area.
We create 150 handmade posters for each show that are printed by local artisans and posted in businesses around the Cincinnati region.
We also spread the word with color handbills that we distribute around the Cincinnati region and send to indie craft shops around the Midwest.
We reach out to our contacts in local and regional press, including TV, radio, magazines, newspapers and blogs, to get editorial coverage for the show.
We work with local likeminded organizations to cross-promote the show.
We also give our crafters tools to promote the show via their own websites and social media.