
(Image courtesy of Crafty Mart)
Spring is in the air and that means it’s time once again for Crafty Mart’s annual Mom & Pop Shoppe.
The Mom & Pop Shoppe is the spring show, which features goods and gift items appropriate for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation and home and garden decor.
On Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Crafty Mart will host nearly 70 local artists and makers offering handmade and up-cycled goods made throughout the greater Akron area.
Take in the best of creativity the Rubber City has to offer, and buy directly from the artisans who hand craft their wares. The Mom & Pop Shoppe vendors include woodworkers, fiber artists, printmakers, graphic designers, painters, boutique candy makers and chocolatiers, clothing designers, those who work with leather goods, and more. A complete list of vendors can be found HERE.
New this year are the locations of the vendors. Crafty Mart will spread across the Akron Art Museum (1 S. High Street), Summit Artspace (140 E. Market St.), and Akron-Summit County Public Libary’s Main Library (60 S. High St.). All three locations are walkable distances from one another, all found in downtown Akron. You can still expect to find live music spun by Mighty Soul Night, food, drink, workshops and the highest quality handmade goods at this year’s Mom & Pop Shoppe.
This year’s workshops–or learning opportunities open to the public–include a wire insect workshop, a floral crown class and a David Bowie portrait-painting class. Registration is required for each workshop. The Bowie painting class sold out within 24 hours of its announcement. Organizers are looking into creating another one–so those interested should keep an eye on the schedule in case another class is offered. Sign-ups and more info about the workshops can be found HERE.

(Image courtesy of Craft Mart)
Crafty Mart is the uncommon arts and craft marketplace in the Rubber City, first established in 2009. The group has grown to become a nonprofit organization, hosting events to showcase small business arts and makers. In 2013, Crafty Mart was voted one of the “Best of the City” by Akron Life Magazine. For more information on Crafty Mart’s past and present, go to: www.craftymart.org.
Admission to Crafty Mart is free. Parking is free on the street and at the Library Parking Deck on the Southwest Corner of High and Market streets.

(Image courtesy of Crafty Mart)