The free Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Arts Festival – consistently voted one of the top 200 best shows in the U.S. by Sunshine Artists Magazine – will return for its 28th year on July 9 and 10.
After a three-year hiatus, the show will feature more than 200 artists from the Northeast region and as far as Florida who will showcase their handmade goods. Pieces are made of a variety of mediums including ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, fibers, paper, drawings, paintings, photography and wearable art.
Maria Veneziano, owner and operator of national show producer Renaissance Craftables and the show’s director, noted this year will see a higher number of bag artists than in the past, which also had a higher number of soap artist and ceramicist applicants. In addition to booths, Veneziano said the show hopes to have more interactive activities where people can watch art being made.
“What we like about live shows is that you can talk to artists and ask them (about their art),” Veneziano said. “They’re all very willing to share their process. Sometimes you don’t realize how much time and effort goes into making a nice handmade product …
“(The artists) design it, they create it, they try to market it and here, part of it is they want to sell it, but they also want to share it with the world,” she added. “That’s their creation.”
Renaissance Craftables has teamed with the Partnership for Haddonfield to offer more festivities through sponsors and local businesses in addition to artists and crafters.
They include:
- The Haddonfield Farmers Market on July 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kings Court
- Downtown Cookies’ inaugural “Cookie Bowl” cookie-eating contest on July 9 at 1 p.m. in front of the shop at 123 Kings Highway East.
- Misfit Angels and Subaru of Cherry Hill’s adopt-a-pet station on both days of the festival.
- Metalsmith demos by Evearts Jewelers and woodworking demos by Turner Wood Designs.
- Kings Road Brewing Company’s sale of beer soap using four of their top-selling brews.
- An art sensory safe space with arts and crafts.
Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the 9th, and noon to 5 p.m. on the 10th, along Kings Highway between Washington Avenue and Haddon Avenue, along Tanner Street to Euclid Avenue and on Kings Court.
To learn more, visit https://www.downtownhaddonfield.com/events/2022-arts-crafts-festival/.