How to Find Local Craft Markets

I get this question a lot: "Where do I find craft markets in my area?". Usually it's also followed by, "How much do they cost?" And, "How do you know if it's legit?". Well, in this little blog post I plan to answer all of your questions about markets, and much more.

Firstly, how do you find local markets? For me, I joined a Facebook group for my state that was specifically for local markets that posted there looking for vendors. That is the best way I have found to learn about markets in your area. I found about 90% of the markets that I have attended that way.

When I first started out, before I knew about that Facebook group, I searched on Google for local craft markets. This search popped up a lot of bigger events that I felt like I needed more practice before participating in, but it was still effective once you have some markets under your belt.

After that comes cost. How much does it cost to attend markets? Or how much should it cost? And this answer is a bit more open ended. The price varies wildly depending on several factors such as: how big the event is, how established it is, how much traffic it can guarantee. For really big, statewide known markets that you can ask anyone about on the street and they know exactly what you're talking about, then you can expect to pay $500 easily for a 10x10 space. For a local town market that just started and is only expecting a small turnout, then $25-50 for a 10x10 space is to be expected. Now, this doesn't mean that if a market is charging $200 for a booth space that it must mean the traffic is amazing and you'll make a ton of money. Occasionally vendors don't charge what the market is worth, so always do your research and be sure to ask plenty of questions to see if it's something you want to invest in.

Lastly, how do you know it's not a scam? Well, if you are searching on Facebook group posts for your markets, be sure that the fliers or calls for vendors always include the following:  

• Event name
• Date and time for the event
• Contact name and information for the event
• Event location
• Booth fee

If the flier or post doesn't have all of this information, (not just some of it), I would stay away from it. It's always best to use your best judgment however, and if something seems fishy to you, don't be afraid to ask more questions and even research it a bit. A lot of times public events will be listed in other areas so you can always try googling the name and location of the market to see if there's more information on it.

One time, my stepmother wanted to do a craft market and sent me the flier for it. It seemed a bit off to me, so I decided to email the owner of the location that the flier said it would be at to see if that market was in fact going to be there at that date and time. They emailed back saying that they hadn't heard of such a market, and that people often use that location to scam others. So don't be afraid to do your research, and trust your gut!

You should also be careful when giving out payments. Make sure you've done your due diligence before handing over your hard earned money.

I hope you found this information helpful, and you can find more information like this, PLUS free monthly patterns over on my Patreon! 

Happy market hunting!