Places to Look
Churches often have holiday craft fairs. Local businesses work together with villages and townships to sponsor these events. Craft and yarn shops in your area may have info online and in the stores as well. Quilters can find expos dedicated to their craft where they can win cash prizes, gift certificates and quilting supplies.
State fairs are another excellent venue and may have other competitions beside crafts such as food, music, sports, livestock and talent contests. For example, the Minnesota State Fair offers scholarships for rural youth winners of 4-H contests.
Art fairs—usually held in the summer—offer more opportunities to win prizes and awards of recognition for your work. Think outside of the box. Along with what's considered more traditional art, you might want to enter ice sculpture contests or woodcarving, sandcastle and chainsaw sculpture contests. Rocker Cherie Currie who rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the all-girl band, The Runaways, has made a name for herself as an award-winning chainsaw sculpture artist. You can see her work at chainsawchick.com.
These online directories for local craft events include a mix of US, UK and Canadian listings:
- AQS Quilt Week contest page (http://aqsshows.com/category/contests/)
- Artfaircalendar.com (US & Canada)
- Coastalliving.com (sandcastle contests)
- Craftlister.com
- Craftmastersnews.com
- Festivalnet.com
- Livecraftsshows.co.uk
- National Ice Carving Association (http://www.nica.org/)
- Quilts.com
- Sunshineartist.com (US & Canada)
- Ukcraftfairs.com
Related books at Amazon to help you get started in the craft fair circuit:
The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line
How to Make a Crafty Income: A guide to selling at craft fairs and other events
