Annual Spring Craft Fair

Last weekend was the Annual Spring Craft Fair here in Sioux City. In the past it was held at the Convention Center, but with the neighboring parking lot under construction it was moved to the Tyson Events Center.

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Admission was $6, but I found a $1-off coupon on Facebook, and presented it at the box office. With my ticket in hand I went up to the entrance, and was given a flyer with the list of all the vendors attending the craft show this year, along with a map of where all the booths were located. I really, really appreciated this!

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I did not reference the map while there, rather when I returned home, I used it to look up each and every business via Facebook. Some I found, some I didn’t.

60 vendors

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While I was at the craft fair, I struck up conversations with several business owners, learning their trade, what kind of products they sell, and snagging their business cards so I could later contact them.

SueZee soaps

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One business I will be contacting later to purchase products from is SueZee Soaps (suezeesoaps.com) for their face wash. My 16-year-old step son has mild acne, and she said it has helped several clients improve their complexion. We both agreed, we won’t know if it will help him, but even so, I’m all for supporting a local business, and if all else fails, I could use it on my skin. They also sell organic laundry detergent! My fiancé and I have been slowly transitioning our buying habits to favor small businesses, and we are looking forward to trying this product.

Mallett Bees

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Right across the way was another bee colony, Mallett Bees (mallettbees.com), ran by a very bright young man, named Aaron Mallett, out of Salix, Iowa. He has been in business for three years now, and is learning more every day about how to take care of his bee colony. He sells several different products including flavored honey, beeswax lip balm and hand salve, and soaps. Soon he even wants to grow his colony even larger.

Pearl’s Parlor

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I met two sisters who own Pearl’s Parlor. They are working on setting up a Facebook account and a website, but even without either, they both say sales and feedback have been steadily growing. I can tell they put incessant effort into their creations, and I love that they named their business after their grandmother.

Lucy & Woody

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Not surprisingly, I saw Lucy & Woody there. Her endless effort to promote her business is forever inspiring. She has her soaps and lotions in several local businesses around town; you’ll find her at the Farmer’s Market every year; and I can always rely on her to attend at least one craft event every season. I have tried other’s goat milk soaps and lotions, but the quality she puts into her products always out performs the competition. You can find her on Facebook: facebook.com/LucyWoodySoapsAndSundries/.

Cedar Candle Company

I even met a couple who just started their business months ago: Cedar Candle Company (cedarcandleco.com). They are located here in Sioux City, which is so perfect! We love burning candles in our home, and now we can support a local business. I plan to contact her soon to make my first purchase.

American Soy Scents

There was another soy candle company at the craft fair: American Soy Scents. I learned a lot from this couple, Tim and Laura. Did you know wax candles, and even wax melts, generate eleven different toxins? Wow! I no longer want to be ingesting these, so this is even more incentive to modify our buying habits. You can find them on Facebook: facebook.com/americansoyscentsbutterfly/.

Food!

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There’s always food at craft fairs. A few vendors I noticed were The Kringle Man (thekringleman.com) from Elk Horn, IA; Ruthven Meat Processing (ruthvenmeat.com) from Storm Lake, IA; and Cheese Brothers (cheesebros.com) from Wisconsin.

Needle & thread

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I expect there to be quilts and blankets at any craft show, and I was not disappointed. Specifically, I found two businesses that specialize in fabric crafts. R and R Quilting from Remsen, Iowa; and Shiny Sunstar Creations from here in Sioux City. You can find them both on Facebook, and check out their creations.

Metal & Wood work

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Also attending were several woodcrafters, including Prairie River Handcrafts and Snowflake Woodcrafts, along with metal lawn and garden ornaments.

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Final thoughts

Overall, I’m glad I went, but the Tyson Events Center has extremely harsh lighting inside their arena. I enjoy the large open-air space for hockey and basketball events, but it is not necessarily conducive for an intimate crafty atmosphere.

Still, I met several business owners I plan to follow up with, and maybe even request a tour of their farm. Building relationships with your local businesses helps build the community backbone. So, please go out and show support, and visit their websites and Facebook accounts.