We find it 100% unreal that we just celebrated our 10th Annual Unglued: Craft Fest a couple weeks ago!! Back in 2011 we truly started this assuming it’d just be a one time, one day event in the dead of winter to help our friends (and new friends!) sell their modern handcrafted work, but here we are with our 10th Fest that has grown to a brick and mortar shop in downtown Fargo, public and private craft parties and workshops, kids’ summer camps, sleepaway summer camps for adults, one day badass craft retreats and MORE. And, oh man, we can tell you stories of things that have failed hard and things that have needed big ol’ changes to keep goin’ but that’s for another day (but I always feel is important to note because #reallife).
We knew going into year TEN (TEN?!) that we needed to make this one helluva crafty birthday party celebration with throwing back to past vendors who’ve showcased their work at the fest to past amazing fest posters…paired with all things birthday like CAKE, gummy bear toasts, so.many.crafts, a GIANT BUFFALO PINATA, cotton candy, and more…ultimately paired with a crazy talented, mind blowing line-up of our 10th Annual 70+ artists, crafters, and makers!
So we started it off as all good parties should with an epic poster designed by Ben Brick!
We kicked off the weekend on Feb 21 with the return of our Craft Preview Party and we just happened to be able to pair it with the BEST WEATHER WEEKEND WE’VE EVER HAD IN A MILLION YEARS DURING THE FEST.
There was screenprinting thanks to Amanda Heidt of Hannaher’s Print Studio and Dana Holscher!
Artist Nichole Rae inspired the people with an affirmation celebration coaster!
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And our Unglued Crew created succulent pots with mini origami cranes…you know, just pairing two of our most loved crafts of Unglued together in one adorable crafty project!
DJ AP was LIT and kept attendees ready to dance (or at least bounce) at all times throughout the night.
The food was NEXT LEVEL thanks to Deb’s Corner Foods, Milk Made cheese planters, and Maria’s Homestyle Mexican!! #tacos.
And then later in the evening we got to enjoy a gummy bear toast (yes, champagne and prosecco-flavored gummy bears!) thanks to Yeobo Sweet Shop (YEs delivered by unicorns because isn’t that what we all want in life?).
It was this wonderfully chill, DIY-filled, celebration of CRAFT…birthdays…and kicking off the Fest’s MAKERS!
Then we got to the MAIN EVENT Saturday of the Fest and it started out quite beautifully thanks to the best flippin’ swag line ever serenaded by Randi Kay:
Our swag bag has been SO HOT since the first ever Unglued: Craft Fest and this year won so hard. Full of samples, coupons, and fun from our makers and sponsors it was a hard win.
And then the shopping began!!
Our community discovered the work of over 70 makers, artists, and crafters showcasing their amazing handcrafted talents on all 3 floors of the beautiful Plains Art Museum!
We continue to see our community locally and regionally just totally burst at the seams with creativity and passion-driven makers and this year seemed to be especially exploding with pure AWESOME.
And we paired said awesome with extra awesomesauce like our Craft Beer Garden, free (so many free) workshops and projects, and SELFIE BOOTHS.
(Demos by the Plains Art Museum!)
(Barn Quilts with Crooked Lane Farms!)
The party continued on with our sweet Fest areas like the Red River Mini Market, Young Maker’s Market, and Portrait Row with local artists!
(and we had a community craft corner full of string art & weaving funnnnn!).
And then we tripled leveled it up with TATTOOS. REAL.LIVE.TATTOOS. So you could commemorate your love of craft or MN and ND FOR-EV-VER. Thanks to Amarok Tattoo (and a super chill lounge area by The White House Co.).
I mean, how amazing is this tattoo spread they graced our Fest with?!
And then there was COTTON CANDY.
And then there was THIS AMAZING CAKE sprinkled by the amazing Ali Burke. Because BIRTHDAY!
Like sweetness level of the weekend 12/10.
And then also as tradition continues we gave our our Best in Show and Kick Ass Booth Display awards!
And our Best in Show went to Artifacts of Joy!
And Kick Ass Booth Display awards went to do good adventures and Tin•ker!
(Important note: we continued to enjoy the amazing food of Maria’s Homestyle Mexican on Saturday, too, and it was THE BEST.)
And the tunes of Hot Lunch during said HOT LUNCH.
And we threw it back for the past 10 fest posters and fest makers in our Skywalk of memories!
Annnnd then we continued to be amazed by this creative community…
What a world we live in, right?!
And, well, we couldn’t have created this weekend without YOU. Thank YOU from the bottom of our crafty, crazy hearts for showing up this past Feb 21-22 to celebrate our creative community and for the past 9 other Fests!! The way you shop the heck outta our Fest makers and get creative yourself is what drives us each year to continue making as much magic happen as we can! We cannot WAIT to see what the next 10 years hold.
This beauty of a photo recap is thanks to our event photography M. Schleif Photography!!
Stay in touch with our Fest Makers HERE!
Support the heck outta our sponsors who made this weekend possible HERE!
And get ready to apply for our 11th Annual Fest Nov 1, 2020!