2013 School Scholarship Winner

This is always such an exciting time of year! Every November get to share some much needed funds with a Greenville County school's art department. If this is the first you're hearing of our school scholarship program, let me give you a brief recap. For the past 3 years, we've awarded a $500 scholarship to a local school who demonstrates both a need in their art program and a clear plan for the funds.

Every year there are so many good applicants. Reading through the numerous applications, we were again reminded of the great need in all of our schools to improve art resources. Yet we are also so humbled and amazed to know how much the teachers are able to accomplish on limited budgets. We certainly wish we could award everyone the scholarship funds. They all deserve it.

That being said, we are pleased to announce that the recipient of this year’s scholarship funding is St. Anthony of Padua School. This school largely serves the impoverished neighborhood surrounding the school in West Greenville. In addition to creating an art program for the students who attend St. Anthony's, the art teacher, Catherine Pate, has created an after school program to further student's art techniques and imaginative skills.

We're so happy to be partnering with this school. We're already discussing fun plans for artists demonstrations and ways to help the kids who attend St. Anthony's learn to love the arts.

If your school or a school you know of would like to participate in our scholarship program, please stay tuned. Applications are open every year in September and October. We want to know of the needs in Greenville, and we rely on you to tell us.

The Ethics of Craftsmanship

When Lisa Congdon wrote "My Art was Stolen for Profit" earlier this week, we were outraged on her behalf. Several pieces of Lisa's art were reproduced without her permission by the wholesale supplier Cody Foster. Lisa is not only pursuing legal action, but she publicly called out Cody Foster and has garnered a good deal of support in her efforts to share the story. In every industry there are knock offs, but the craft world seems to be especially plagued by this phenomenon. Whether it's an artist creating work that's uncomfortably close to another artist's or DIY tutorials about how to make something just like what so-and-so sells, the disrespect for creativity is the same. In this instance, Cody Foster regularly purchases items from independent artists and then resells a mass-produced version of the item to retailers. The revelation that Cody Foster has done this for years is maddening, and yesterday it got even more personal for us.

Sarah Mandell of Once Again Sam shares our hometown of Greenville and is an Indie Craft Parade alumni. Her felted curiosities are playful, unique, and take hours to create. This year, Cody Foster is selling owl ornaments almost identical to the needle-felted owls Sarah has been selling for the past three years at our events and many others across the Southeast.

image via indieripoffs

Today, we are officially joining Lisa's cry to spread the word and stand up for independent artists. Let your local retail shops know that Cody Foster has made a habit (and a business) of ripping off artists, most of whom can not pursue any kind of legal action. Write an email to retailers you frequent, or if you're a shop owner and have access to the Atlanta Market, stop by Cody Foster's booth in person and politely let them know your purchasing dollars will be spent with companies who respect artists.

Fast Company states it well in their article: "A wholesale company like Cody Foster might not fear lawsuits, but it can be imperiled when consumers start telling their friends and complaining to the big companies that buy from wholesalers."

Handlettered by Justin Hall for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade

We were thrilled to see retailers like West Elm and Fab drop Cody Foster wares in a show of support for artists, but there is still plenty we can do. Indie Craft Parade has reached out to our retail contacts about Cody Foster and we encourage you to do the same.

Lisa's post, among other revelations in the past few weeks, has confirmed in our mind the importance of education when it comes to ethical choices in the craft world. As a result, we will be including this topic in our 2014 Makers Summit lineup, addressing issues like inspiration versus copying. Plagiarism isn't tolerated in the academic world, and we don't think there's any reason the line should be blurred in the art realm.

2013 Indie Craft Parade School Scholarship Program

Since we started Indie Craft Parade, we’ve wanted to do more than just put on a great show in Greenville. We want to make a lasting impact on our community. One of the hopes for Indie Craft Parade is that we can inspire another generation of artists by getting involved with the art programs of Greenville County schools. In 2011 we established the Indie Craft Parade School Scholarship Program in which we donated funds to the art department of a Greenville County school. We understand that school budgets are always tight, but unfortunately it is often the fine arts programs that are the first to suffer when  funding cuts are made. It also breaks our hearts when we learn that art teachers sometimes have to pay out of pocket to supply the most basic tools like markers and crayons for their classes.

So we want to help.

Our goal is for the scholarship program to not only help fund a school’s art program that is lacking in resources but also expose students to a greater spectrum of art than is typically available in a classroom setting.For 2013, one scholarship of $500 will be awarded to a school in Greenville County.

Application photos from the 2011 winner Brook Glenn Elementary.

We want our scholarship to extend beyond just funding. We hope to establish a true partnership with the school that is selected and work together to create opportunities for students and local artists to connect. This may include demonstrations, assemblies or field trips.

Applications will be selected based on three main criteria, including: Educational impact of the scholarship Need of the applying school Proposed use of the funds

Any school located in Greenville County can apply for these art program funds. Applications can be found online and must be submitted by October 31, 2013.  So let your school know about this opportunity!

The Indie Craft Parade scholarship is open to all schools, both public and private, in Greenville County. All schools are eligible for funding without discrimination due to race, religion, or socioeconomic status.

Martha Stewart American Made Awards

As fans of handcrafted goods, we love what the Martha Stewart American Made awards are doing for makers across our nation. Showcasing handmade in the areas of food, craft, design, style, technology, and garden, this initiative gives you the chance to cast six votes each day for your favorite American Makers.

Audience Choice voting has been extended until September 22nd and we're so proud of how many Indie Craft Parade alumni have been nominated!

The six nominees with the most votes in their categories will move on to the final round of voting for the Grand Prize, which is $10,000 to further their business, a trip for two to New York City to attend the American Made Workshop, and a feature on marthastewart.com! This is an amazing opportunity for our artists and their businesses, so please be sure to vote every day and let your friends know to do the same!

Check out the Indie Craft alumni nominees below. You can click on their image to be taken to their page to vote!

Remember, vote for your favorite American Made nominee between now and September 22, 2013! Another fun perk: Each vote enters you into a weekly drawing to win a book signed by Martha Stewart, American Express gift cards, or other great prizes.

What to Expect at indie craft parade

Can you believe it?? Tomorrow starts the festival! If this is the first Indie Craft Parade you're attending, you might be wondering what you as an attendee can expect at the event, so hopefully this post will answer all your questions!

Who is this festival intended for? The whole community! Indie Craft Parade is for anyone interested in purchasing handcrafted goods. Indie Craft Parade features the best handmade art in the Southeast from 75+ independent artisans. We invite the public to attend this festival and enjoy high quality crafts, local food, live music, and getting to know the artists in their community.

When is the 2013 Indie Craft Parade? This coming weekend, September 6-8. The VIP Gala is Friday night from 6 - 9 pm and is for ticket holders only (see details here).  The rest of the festival is free admission, and is open Saturday from 9 am-6pm, and Sunday from 11 am-5 pm.

Where is the festival being held? Indie Craft Parade is held indoors at the historic Huguenot Mill in downtown Greenville, SC. The mill is located at 101 W. Broad Street, next to the Peace Center. The venue is handicapped accessible. There is street parking available, and several parking garages with easy walking distance.

Is this event family-friendly? Absolutely! Saturday and Sunday are both free admission, so bring the whole gang. If you've got small children, we suggest you leave your stroller at home if possible. The aisles are a bit narrow, and can make maneuvering a stroller a little difficult. The only time alcohol will be served is at the VIP Gala, and attendees must be 21 years or older to partake.

What type of goods can I expect to see? At Indie Craft Parade, you'll find the best handcrafted goods in a variety of categories, everything from paintings to children's toys, paper goods to jewelry, ceramic mugs to artisanal chocolate. You can get a sneak preview of some of the work by checking out blog posts like this one or this one.

Will credit cards be accepted? Most likely, but bring cash just in case. Many of the vendors may have the ability to accept credit cards or checks, however you should be prepared to pay cash for most of the items you purchase. There is an ATM on site in case you forget your cash.

Photo by Britt Hildreth

Will I have to wait in line? It's possible. We've expanded our hours and added an extra day to better accommodate the crowds, but depending on the turnout, you may have to wait in line before you enter. Obviously, our goal is to get everyone in as soon as possible, but we do have to respect the venue's fire code. If there is a line, we'll do our best to keep it moving quickly, and aim to have everyone in within about 15 minutes.

Is there food and drink on site? Yes! We're delighted to have the offerings of several local establishments available to our attendees. You can purchase items from Chef 360, Upcountry Provisions, King of Pops, Tealoha, and Vagabond Barista.

If you have any questions, please check out our FAQs. Or, leave a comment below and we'll reply!

Featured Sponsor: Etsy

We're so glad to have Etsy as an Indie Craft Parade sponsor this year! The Handmade Marketplace has been helping designers and makers sell their goods online since 2005. Their site has also been extremely instrumental in helping the handmade movement gain traction. Earlier this year, our team got to visit their Brooklyn headquarters and it was just as awesome as we expected. Outside Etsy headquarters.

Etsy shares our love for artists, so this weekend, they will join us alongside Spoonflower as a co-sponsor of our Artist Meet & Greet Breakfast. Etsy staff will be on hand throughout the weekend to conduct shop reviews and host a special educational workshop for our artists!

If you're not familiar with Etsy, be sure to spend some time looking around their site. They offer quite a few resources and tools to help artists and to make it easier for people to find handmade goods. Some of our favorites are Shop Local, the Seller Handbook, and their blogs.

Many of our participants sell their handmade goods on Etsy and we use a few of the Etsy tools (like treasuries) to share their items before the show.

One of this year's Indie Craft Parade treasuries.

If you want to know more about Etsy or get involved locally, be sure to check out the South Carolina Etsy Team. This is a great support group if you’re an Etsy seller or would like to be. Online, the team posts great tips for selling and getting the most out of Etsy. You can join this team if you’re an artisan “living in South Carolina who maintain an Etsy shop containing a minimum of 5 items…and who participate in group discussions and/or activities” Visit their page for more details.

Gift Guides

There's such a wonderful variety of handmade goods at the festival, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping. You'll find something for everyone on your list, a one-of-a-kind gift that's sure to steal the show. Who are you shopping for? The Foodie

The Art Collector

The Fashionista

The Nature Enthusiast

The Dapper Dude

The Little Ones

The Hipster

The Jewelry Admirer

The Animal Lover

The Home Decorator

The Person Who Has Everything

But enough about all these people, let's get to the important stuff... what are you going to get for yourself at Indie Craft Parade?

Artist Showcase: Everything Else

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival this weekend. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the last few days until Indie Craft Parade! Last but not least, our Everything Else category! The various goods in this catch-all will surely delight. These talented makers are handcrafting everything from artisanal chocolate to dog treats (not chocolate treats, obviously!), painted pillows to plush creatures, cake plates to candles, and stamped silverware to soap. Check out a little sample...

Finkelstein's Center never fails to wow us with their fabulous plush animals and dolls. These creatures have personality by the boatload! Not just for kids, everyone's going to want one for their own.

Asheville Soap & Sundry Company makes olive oil-based bath soaps,  solid shampoo bars, and natural cosmetics. They are dedicated to using natural ingredients,  always buying locally and chemical-free, and often grow the botanicals used in their products themselves.

Block & Hammer rescues vintage silverware, and hand-stamps it with fun phrases and custom messages. They also offer copper and aluminum collar stays, the perfect gift for groomsmen or any dapper gent.

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and come out this weekend to meet them all!

Artist Showcase: To Wear

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in just one week. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the last few days until Indie Craft Parade! Our "To Wear" category is chock-full of amazing makers. The handcrafted wearables include apparel for men, women, and children, jewelry, purses, and accessories. Here's just a little sample of some of the fabulous goods.

"Acorn + Archer is a Nashville-based accessories line inspired by natural specimens, ancient artifacts and the balance found in modern physics." We love the simple lines of their pieces, the smooth tones of reclaimed wood paired with a pop of color is just what every outfit needs.

Flytrap Clothing features hand-printed apparel for men and women. Those fabulous scarves are calling our name, how about you?

Billiam(pronounced "bill-yum") is a local fan favorite, churning out custom jeans, belts, and wallets right here in Greenville. Their line focuses mostly on fashion for males, though the recent addition of women's skinny jeans has made all the ladies giddy.

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another artist showcase next week.

VIP Gala: Giveaways

There's only 7 more days until the Indie Craft Parade kicks off with the VIP Gala! Did you get your tickets yet? There's only a few left, don't miss out.The VIP Gala offers an exclusive first look at the artists' work. Enjoy the opening night of the festival with a relaxed atmosphere and live music by The Bent Strings. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages (handcrafted coffee, tea, and craft beer) are provided. In addition to all this, our gala guests can also win amazing giveaways! Take a look at just a few of the wonderful handmade items our artists have donated for the giveaways:

You could go home with a giveaway basket worth several times the ticket price. Tickets are $25 each and are available here. Ticket proceeds help support Indie Craft Parade, a non-profit organization, by keeping costs affordable for our artists and the festival free for the remainder of the weekend.

Feature Sponsor: Spoonflower Fabrics

We're so happy to be having another festival year partnering with Spoonflower Fabrics. Not only is Spoonflower a crafter's dream come true (...you can design your own fabric, wallpaper, and wrapping paper, what?!), but also the company has made itself an indespensable part of the creative community. They are the go-to resource for designers and crafters all over the country, and have made quite the splash in the process. With nods from Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Today Show, and even The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, Spoonflower has revolutionized the way many people approach crafting.

About Spoonflower from their website: From their website: Spoonflower was founded in May 2008 by two Internet geeks who had crafty wives but who knew nothing about textiles. The company came about because Stephen’s wife, Kim, persuaded him that being able to print her own fabric for curtains was a really cool idea. She wasn’t alone. The Spoonflower community now numbers over half a million individuals who use their own fabric to make curtains, quilts, clothes, bags, furniture, dolls, pillows, framed artwork, costumes, banners and much, much more. The Spoonflower marketplace offers the largest collection of independent fabric designers in the world. 

Like last year, Spoonflower will be hosting a DIY craft station at Indie Craft Parade. This was a huge hit last year, and I'm so thankful that they've agreed to come back. Additionally, they're co hosting with Etsy some special treats for our artists. Be sure to stop by their booth at the festival, spend a while making a project, and let them know how awesome they are.

In addition to designing or shopping for fabric on Spoonflower's site, you can also be a part of their growing community. They have an excellent blog that features their own DIY projects, contests and giveaways, tips and tricks for designing, and snapshots of Spoonflower fabrics being used across the industry.

Artist Showcase: Fiber Art

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in just a couple weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! The work produced for our fiber art category is so varied and wonderful. These amazing makers spin wool, weave, felt, sew, embroider, and so much more! Here's a little look at a few of our talented artists working with fiber:

Chomp Textiles - Dana begins her process with hand drawn patterns which she then silk screens onto organic and sustainable fabrics using water based inks. These fabrics are sewn into a fabulous line of home goods, everything from totes to tea towels.

Precious America - artist Allison Jarrett's work is an excellent example of modern craft. The classic art of crewel embroidery becomes fresh and lively with her monochromatic color palette and streamlined stitching. What a wonderful way to commemorate a special date!

Once Again Sam - these felted curiosities never fail to bring a smile to our faces. Sarah Mandell creates an amazing range of work, everything from felted succulents (finally, a plant I can't kill!), morbidly wonderful anatomical hearts, and sweet creatures like owls, rabbits, and more!

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another artist showcase next week.

Artist Showcase: Paper Goods

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in just a couple weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! Over here at Indie Craft Parade headquarters, we're all obsessed with pretty paper goods. Letterpressed note cards cause us to swoon, screenprinted posters get us giddy, and perfectly bound notebooks make us weak in the knees. We love all the work produced by the talented makers in our paper goods category, here's a peek at just a few!

Em Dash Paper Co. - We love the happy-go-lucky calligraphy style of Emily. Her cherry notecards and hand-painted notebooks are the perfect gift to treat yourself to.

Ink Meets Paper "creates delightful letterpress greeting cards to foster the art of handwritten correspondence in today's modern world." These wonderfully modern cards are just right for every occasion. (We featured a little peek into their studio on our Instagram a few weeks ago, check it out!)

GREENville Books are made in, you guessed it, Greenville! Jason Waggoner hand-sews environmentally conscious papers with the perfect feel, color, and weight and binds them together into a one-of-a-kind book. We're loving the series with milk-painted covers!

Stay tuned! There's another artist showcase coming right up. Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another showcase next week.

Feature Sponsor: Greenville Journal

Our media sponsors play a key role in helping us spread the word about Indie Craft Parade. Today, we’re introducing one of these valuable partners: the Greenville Journal. Besides their reputation as a source for important Greenville and Upstate news, the Journal is the place to go for details on community events, small business introductions, and cultural news including music, art, and festivals.

Currently the cover story for the Greenville Journal is the new development in the Village of West Greenville, the hub of Greenville's art community. If you haven't heard, West Greenville has recently undergone some exciting rebranding and new development. Every time we look we learn of new studios, shops, and even restaurants opening or relocating to West Greenville. And we're so excited to see this group getting more exposure from the surrounding community.

Also, keep an eye out for the Indie Craft Parade ads in upcoming issues. As you spot them, snap a photo and tag us in Instagram.

Artist Showcase: 3D Fine Art

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in less than a month. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! Today we're highlighting some of the artists from our 3D Fine Art category. In this section you'll find amazing handmade work created with wood, glass, metal, and ceramics. And once again we had a difficult time choosing who to showcase, there are so many talented artists in this category!

"HollerDesign creates and constructs furniture inspired by the traditions of the American South, but informed by modern sleekness and simplicity. And uniquely, each piece is sourced, designed and crafted from and on the Lascassas, Tenn., dairy farm that’s housed HollerD owner Matt Alexander’s family for more than a century." We are drooling over those cutting boards, can't wait to get our hands on them! Head over to their website and check out the gorgeous video on the homepage, it documents one of their furniture pieces from start to finish.

Rachel Wilder's terrarium collection has us swooning. These beauties are hand crafted from reclaimed window glass and lead free solder. She also makes a line of miniature terrarium necklaces. What a delightful way to bring green life into your everyday!

Jeanette Zeis and her colorful ceramics are a crowd favorite. "Her pottery line contains beautiful and original housewares. Wonderfully crafted, with an eye for detail. Gorgeous pieces for everyday use and for lovely displays." We're thrilled to see that Jeanette has recently launched a new collection of dishes tailor-made for vegans. No matter what you're serving, these cheerful pieces are sure to brighten your day!

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another artist showcase next week.

Volunteers needed!

Indie Craft Parade is only a month away, and we need your help to spread the word far and wide! This Saturday, we'll be hanging Indie Craft Parade posters throughout Greenville, and we've got several ways you can get involved:

1. Bring a friend and meet us this Saturday at 10am in front of The Peace Center, at the corner of Main and Broad Streets. Together we'll cover downtown.

2. Take posters to another area, near or far. We could use your help reaching other parts of Greenville, or nearby cities. If you can help, posters will be available for pickup at Dapper Ink.

3. Download and print your own poster to hang at your desk, in your dorm room or your place of work! Or email it to friends and family members.

4. Spread the word with or without posters! Tell everyone you know about Indie Craft Parade and the upcoming festival.

PoWhen you see this year's posters, you'll notice another one of our wonderful sponsors, Graphics Now. Graphics Now has donated poster printing for us several years now, and they never fail to impress us with their quality and turnaround time.

Whether it's local businesses like Graphics Now or our volunteers, we are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our organization and our mission. We couldn't do it without you!

Featured Sponsors: Robojuice & Andrew Ramos

Earlier this year, we launched a brand new Indie Craft Parade website to replace the original site launched in 2010 — a lifetime ago in Internet years.

From the beginning, we felt that the Indie Craft Parade brand should reflect the quality of work our artists are producing. We worked with local web designer Andrew Ramos and development company RoboJuice to create and launch a new site that would better accomplish this goal.

Andrew helped us plan out how we could restructure and simplify, then worked through several iterations of our new design. He created a look for us that was fresh, functional and unique. Focusing on smaller blocks of content allows the site design to remain flexible and interesting as our needs change.

Here's our old site:

And the new one:

The end result not only raises the bar, but it displays our information in a creative and original way that readers can engage with. We love how it reflects the colorfulness and the spirit of Indie Craft Parade. The new design also allows us to showcase handcrafted elements, like original illustrations by Cory Godbey as well as photos and video of our past events. But the new design is just the first part of the process.

Our next step was to find a developer who could make Andrew's design function beautifully. And that's where our new friends, Kevin and Jeff at Robojuice come in. Robojuice is focused on people and process.

From their mission: The personal attention we give our clients is to help them flow through our process in order to meet their expectations. Web can be intimidating to some so we are very clear with clients about what we are doing, what we need to do it, how long it will take, what it is worth to them and what is the final outcome. We listen for the real challenge and respond with the proper digital solution - we are not about just delivering a dictated web product.

We want clients to love web and love working on web initiatives. Hearing the words "partnership" and "trust" from our clients means we are on the right track. Robojuice gives attention to people and process so that clients enjoy and want to work on web initiatives.

We couldn't agree more. Robojuice implemented our new design with an amazing attention to detail. And they even added some fun touches of their own to the mix (did you notice the TV static on our video? Their idea!). We loved that they were just as excited about our new design as we were!

It's always a treat to work with people who not only love what they do, but are good at it. And this designer/developer team is no exception. We are so grateful for the time they contributed to bring our new site to life.

Artist Showcase: 2D Fine Art

It's time to start one of our favorite blog series. We'll be featuring a few artists from each category, who you'll get to meet at the festival in just a few short weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! Let's start off the series with some makers from our 2D Fine Art category. There are so many talented artists, it's hard to pick just a few!

Paper-Sparrow features delightful art with a music and animal theme. They offer pieces made with traditional printmaking techniques, as well as screen-printed and digitally printed works.

Rebekka Seale's illustrations are just too charming for words. She is a talented fine artist hailing from Tennessee, and stays quite busy creating pieces for cool clients like Anthropologie and Land of Nod.

Emily Jefford's mixed media collages are incredibly original. From the inky landscapes to the wood bases gathered by her grandfather, and from the little bits of paper ephemera to the delicate lines made by string and nails, these one-of-a-kind works of art are filled with personality and meaning.

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we'll be back with another artist showcase next week.

Sponsor Feature: The Peace Center

This is our fourth year holding the festival at the Certus Loft at the Huguenot Mill, and we're so grateful for the partnership we've developed with The Peace Center---the managers of the Huguenot Mill. The Peace Center is Greenville's premiere performing arts center which every year boasts nationally acclaimed artists and tours.

From their website: In addition to being Greenville's most popular performance venue, The Peace Concert Hall is an excellent space for lectures, annual meetings and graduations. A total of 2,100 seats, the hall features state-of-the-art acoustics and a hydraulic orchestra pit. The Peace Center Lobby is equipped with three portable full-service bar stations and is an inviting meeting area for cocktail parties and medium-sized social gatherings.

Besides the main Concert Hall, the Peace Center complex also includes an outdoor performance stage, a smaller children's theatre, a beautifully preserved pavilion, the theatre lounge, and of course the Huguenot Mill. Our partnership with the Peace Center this year includes their sponsorship of the VIP Gala. The theatre lounge's restaurant, Genevieve's, is providing the food for our kick off party. Expect a menu of delightful heavy hors d'oeuvres to accompany an evening of live music, local drinks, and the best handmade goods the South has to offer.

About Genevieve's: Soaring three-story ceilings. Dramatic lighting. A sliding glass wall that connects you with a view of rooflines, the Reedy River walkway, the grand staircase, and the TD Stage music pavilion. Free-flowing floor space that combines a 4,000 square foot lounge and an 800 square foot balcony. All of this, along with elegant contemporary décor make Genevieve’s one of the most exciting event spaces around. You simply have to see it for yourself!

Photos from the Visit Greenville SC website.

2013 VIP Gala

Hey everybody, it's that time of year again...VIP Gala tickets go on sale in 2 days!! This is one of Indie Craft Parade's best events. It's the kickoff party to an amazing weekend of handmade goods. Every year we pack out the Huguenot Mill with fans who've been waiting all year to for the festival to come back.

Here’s what makes our VIP Gala so great:

1) Ticket holders are personally benefiting Indie Craft Parade. Indie Craft Parade is a non-profit organization, and we are dedicated to keeping costs affordable for our artists. Many of them travel across the Southeast to show you their wares, and we don't want them to worry about losing their profits on the event itself. Your ticket purchases also help keep the festival free for the remainder of the weekend. We really want families, students, and especially kids to see the work of artists and be exposed to the creative community. And keeping the general festival free means that nobody has an excuse not to attend.

2) Relaxed shopping atmosphere. We’re expecting a very large attendance on Saturday and Sunday, which means crowded aisles and limited access to all the artists. When it comes to the variety and extent of the artists’ work, Friday night is definitely the best way to see it. We frequently have artists sell out of goods before the festival even ends, so if you want the best selection, get it on Friday night.

3) Giveaways! Our artists have gone above and beyond this year in donating work to our giveaway baskets. We have 15 baskets assembled—each one is worth over $100. Some are worth almost $200. The lucky winners of these baskets will be going home with a lot of loot.

4) Free Food and Drink. We’ve received the menu from our amazing caterer, Genevieve's, and the food is going to be out of this world. The incredibly talented staff has worked up quite the menu for us—As artful as it is tasty.

And this is new... we're extremely excited to be providing only locally produced beverages at this year's festival. That list includes our favorite coffee guy, The Vagabond Barista—who’ll delight us with some of the latest trends in coffee brewing; a new delicious discovery, Tealoha---who will be bringing batches of house blended teas and lemonade; and a selection of South Carolina made beers and ciders sourced by The Greenville Beer Exchange.

This is a party you don't want to miss. Do good and have a great time altogether at the VIP Gala. Be sure to get your tickets as soon as they're open!