REM Craft Fair
Aerial view of a previous REM Craft Fair
REM Craft Fair (Oct 24-25, 2020)
Shop with some of Maine's finest artisans!
Come check them out at:
Champion's Fitness Club in Elm Plaza
off Upper Main Street in Waterville, ME.
Exit 130 off Interstate 95, towards Waterville.
The hours are 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
both Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2020
More info: artisans@rem1.org or 207-873-4444
Crafters are juried from outstanding Maine artisans.
Click for PDF of application to be in Craft Fair.
Support local Maine artisans and at the same time pick up that one-of-a-kind gift you've been searching for.
Free admission and excellent parking.
Food and drink available - once again we will be selling the Homemade Soups that are so popular every year.
REM food service featuring 21 different soups over the 2 days
In 2008 Colby announced that it would no longer be able to be the venue for the Colby Craft Fair. Some people have told REM that this fair had been going on for 45 years. We have not been able to verify that, but needless to say, it was a very well attended and appreciated fair...loved by both the artists who sold their wares and the community who enjoyed the beautiful purchases of these juried artists.
REM was asked to continue the fair as managers. We agreed, knowing that artists who had been in the show for years would be part of the management team.
It takes a year of work to produce a show. Our first venue was in the old John Martin's Manor. It took 20 people many hours to clean the facility which had been unused for several years. More than 75 artisans participated. Many people came but it was obvious that the venue needed to be larger...both the building and the parking lot.
The following year the REM Craft Fair was moved to Champion's Fitness Center which served as the venue since that time. Transforming three tennis courts into a warm and welcoming atmosphere is a real challenge. The food service helped a lot and decorations created by the Crafting Klatch were enjoyed by both the vendors and the shoppers. Here are some of the decorations used one year:
Beautiful antique wheelbarrow and a hand crafted rooster
We hauled the hutch we love to set a tone of down-home hospitality.
Hiding 15 feet high pipes and signage isn't easy!
In 2014 we decided to decorate with items a lot easier to carry so we made wreaths for several months.
Unfortunately, they are not at all easy to transport without harming them. We did not sell them because there were vendors at the fair who sold wreaths. The wreaths you see here are now on display at the REM office and are for sale. We enjoyed making them so much that the Crafting Klatch has started a new project to raise funds to support REM projects. You may purchase items created by the Crafting Klatch team on this site by visiting "The Wreath People".
As with every other REM team, REM Craft Fair depends upon the community. If people sign up to create a fair next year it will happen. We have learned a lot from previous years and have many tools ready to go.
If you would be interested in:
- Helping create an opportunity for Maine artisans to sell their wares
- Bringing thousands of people to Waterville and stimulating our economy
- Providing a rare shopping opportunity for our people and
- Helping fund REM projects with our profits