Hover Craft

press release: Now in it’s 10th season, Hover Craft will host 107 independent artists, crafters, makers, designers and local food purveyors to form the largest and most diverse buy-local shopping event in downtown Milwaukee.

noon-6 pm, Sunday, December 1, Pritzklaff Building, 333 N Plankinton Ave, Milwaukee

Price: $5 for adults, children are free

Founded in 2009, with just 35 vendors hosted in Bay View’s (now defunct) Up & Under Pub, Hover Craft has grown from modest roots to become Milwaukee’s premiere handmade holiday shopping event. Created to support both the established and emerging creative arts community in Milwaukee, this event has had the pleasure of working with over 800 vendors spanning the creative community from Mary Nohl Award Recipients (Faythe Levine, Colin Matthes, Makeal Flammini, Cris Siqueira, Brent Budsburg & Shana McCaw) to established craft businesses that form the backbone of Milwaukee’s handmade scene (Big White Yeti, Beth Eaton Pottery, Super Creative, Ultraterrestrial, Janelle Gramling, to name a few) to one and done creative collaborations like 2018’s father-daughter duo Charles and Ella Dwyer.

Throughout the years Hover Craft has accepted applications both with and without photographs of work, hoping the event will spur creative action - even if the work is just an idea during the application process. Eliminating this requirement has lowered the barrier to entry to create a truly one-of-a-kind dynamic shopping event. Each year shoppers have been surprised and delighted by a rotating line-up of makers offering high-quality, original work.

“Our main goal when producing Hover Craft is to showcase the talent of the creative community in Milwaukee. You’ll find a few vendors we host every year and you’ll find a lot of work you can’t see anywhere else. It’s a fun event. We do our best to make sure there is a perfect gift for nearly everyone on your list. Our one requirement is that each maker is there to sell their own work - so shoppers can connect and understand the time and attention of each and every piece,” says organizer Cortney Heimerl.

Hover Craft is organized by Vanessa Andrews, Ashley Smith and Cortney Heimerl. The event happens annually on the first Sunday of December.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hovercraftmke/