The Big Crafty, this weekend

Posted on by Alli Marshall

When I was a kid, craft fairs were called bazaars and were held in church basements and the local grange. Grandmother-types sold plastic dolls in crocheted gowns meant to cleverly disguise rolls of toilet paper. There were macrame owl wall-hangings, silk flower arrangements and an inordinate number of pot holders.

The Big Crafty indie craft fair, to be held Sunday, July 13, at the Grey Eagle, is anything but that. In fact, over 35 crafter booths, craft demos, DJs spinning, food and drinks and a raffle (but probably not for a popsicle-stick picture frame) will be part of the event.

Press for the event explains, “Indie craft is a big deal these days, but The Big Crafty isn’t just jumping on the bandwagon. Asheville has craft and indie cred in its bones. It just hasn’t had its grand coming out party yet. We think it’s time that local indie crafters (over 100 Asheville-based sellers on www.etsy.com) came out of their basement workshops to show their wares and party handmade-style. Consider The Big Crafty the debutante ball of Asheville craftisans, and please do come join in our fun!”

Crafters and artists include fashion designer Sew Moe, painter Julie Armbruster, jewelers Figs & Ginger, and outsider artist Gabriel Shaffer. Suzie Millions, author of The Complete Book of Retro Crafts, is a featured presenter.

The Big Crafty runs from 1-7 p.m. Info at crafty@thebigcrafty.com

—Alli Marshall, A&E reporter

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall
View all posts by Alli Marshall →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “The Big Crafty, this weekend”

  1. jeribella.etsy

    sunday july 15th? is it really the 13th? as an etsy seller i was surprised i didn’t find out about this one sooner!

  2. Jon Elliston

    jeribella.etsy:

    Thanks for noticing the date discrepancy. The event is in fact on Sunday, July 13. We’ve corrected the version above.

Leave a Reply to Jon Elliston ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.