Highland, IL has a love of the arts, something you might not expect from a small, rural town. Every year there is the Street Art Fest and Art in the park. What surprised us when we opened in 2018 was the lack of a large, well-established craft fair.
I’ve asked around and heard that it was actually tried before, but there were not enough volunteers to run it and not a high enough turnout to make it worthwhile to vendors/crafters.
While we don’t run a craft fair, we do have a consignment shop dedicated to locally handmade items. Our consignors are very dedicated to their crafts and you can stop into the gift shop area of our studio anytime to look for handmade merchandise. Eventually, we’d like to coordinate with others to set up a larger annual event if it’s feasible. Time will tell.
For now, Highland Arts & Crafts does something similar to a craft fair 4 times a year. Our “Make & Take” events are super fun twist on traditional craft fairs that are affordable and unique. During these events our crafters show you how to create something beautiful on the spot that you can take home the same day. There’s always a variety of projects to choose from and these events always get rave reviews and are very popular.
Other local towns like Edwardsville and O’Fallon do have large, successful craft shows each year. These shows are massive and we do encourage you to attend them if you haven’t. Both benefit the band boosters and the things you can see are really special. These are held in the fall and winter during the busy holiday shopping season. Lebanon IL has two annual festivals in the Spring and Fall that are worth the trip too if the weather is cooperative. Those are held on the old brick street.
In the meantime, we encourage shoppers to stop in and see what’s new in our space too. Crafters rely on year-round shopping to build their businesses, so it helps when you look at area consignment shops that carry their products. Better than shopping on Etsy, here you can see, touch and experience an item with none of the guesswork just like you can at a craft show.
We are located at 821 Main Street on the corner of the square in Highland. You’ll find a lot of local, small businesses here with great food and shopping options.