Sharon Vanorny
Naomi Richardson started the Craftacular in 2004: 'I like to have our shoppers feel like they can come and shop at more than one booth.'
Does the thought of staying up all night for a Black Friday sale or even just trying to find parking at the mall in December make you cringe? If so, consider visiting one of Madison's local holiday markets. These events bring multiple vendors to one location for a day or several days, and personalize the shopping experience for many.
One of the city's oldest holiday markets, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Holiday Art Fair, is now in its 44th year. It started small but has grown to reflect the style and atmosphere of the museum itself, says Annik Dupaty, who organizes the event.
Artists and craftspeople at MMoCA's Holiday Art Fair undergo a rigorous peer-review and jury process before being accepted to sell at the event. The majority of the vendors are local, but some come from as far away as California, Texas and Canada.
The Holiday Art Fair includes live bands, dance companies and carolers, as well as two food "galleries" serving coffee, chocolates and other edibles.
"It's a unique place to find gifts that you're not going to find at the mall," says Dupaty. "Not to pooh-pooh malls -- there's a time and a place for that."
Whatever other motives shoppers may have, they're also supporting a local museum; the Holiday Art Fair is one of MMoCA's largest fundraisers.
"It ties back to our mission to connect people with modern and contemporary art," says Dupaty, adding that shoppers can meet the artists in person. "It's a really fun way to get to know the Overture space and see what we offer here."
Another way to spread goodwill while shopping this holiday season is to visit the Fair Trade Holiday Festival. Vendors at this market meet the guidelines of the Fair Trade Federation, a national organization that helps people in poor countries find a way to make a good product and export it to the U.S., all while being treated fairly, explains organizer Carol Bracewell.
"This is one of the only events of its kind," she adds.
Started in the 1990s as an "alternative gift fair" during a period when there were several anti-sweatshop groups organizing on campus, the event has grown to have over 50 vendors and 3,000 attendees.
Shoppers at the Fair Trade Holiday Festival will meet people who have traveled all over the world and made connections with artisans. Bracewell strives to raise consumer awareness about where the products come from by having vendors include stories, pictures -- anything that puts a face behind the product.
"You know when you shop at this event that most of the money is going to the artisan, because you've eliminated the middle man," she says. "Everybody's goal is to get as much money to the artisans so that they can have a living wage and a life of dignity making these products."
If you'd like your holiday shopping experience to include face-to-face contact with the person who made the gifts you're purchasing, you'll find that at Craftacular, one of Madison's biggest indie craft shows.
Naomi Richardson began the Craftacular in 2004. She had vended at alternative craft shows in Milwaukee and Chicago and realized Madison was missing this component of the holiday market. The first event was held at the High Noon Saloon, with 20 vendors.
This year's event will host 68 vendors, almost all from the Madison or Milwaukee area, all offering handmade items. Richardson describes it as "condensed, one-stop shopping."
The Craftacular receives two to three times as many applications as Richardson has space for. She tries to have a variety of products, with popular return vendors as well as new crafters to keep the event fresh. Her ultimate goal is to have high-quality items in a reasonable price range.
"I like to have our shoppers feel like they can come and shop at more than one booth," says Richardson, adding that that's a bonus for her vendors, too.
For Dupaty, Bracewell and Richardson, the planning process takes all year. "As soon as one fair is finished, I'm already starting work on the next event," says Dupaty.
Organizers typically reserve their event spaces and set their show dates a year in advance. They make decisions about vendors by the end of summer, after reviewing numerous applications and ensuring a good fit for that particular market.
Then begins the frenzy of marketing. Everything is planned and organized to the last detail, except for the weather. While a big storm could prove disastrous, most fairs are scheduled early enough so that a Snowmageddon is less likely.
But the organizers agree that all the work is worth it to offer the community an incredible, one-stop shopping experience with unique gifts in a relaxing atmosphere. Richardson says she has even become good friends with some of the regulars: "It's nice to see people coming back year after year and supporting us."
Where and when
Holiday Craftacular
Nov. 29, 10 am-4 pm
Madison Masonic Center, 301 Wisconsin Ave.
MMoCA Holiday Art Fair
Nov. 21, 2:30-7 pm; Nov. 22, 10 am-5 pm; Nov. 23, 10 am-3 pm
MMoCA and Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St.
Fair Trade Holiday Festival
Dec. 6, 9 am-4 pm
Monona Terrace
