May Market a Huge Sucess!

Despite the crazy weather, our opening day was amazing! The rain stopped just in time for our vendors to set up, and the sun came out in the afternoon for our awesome Rock-n-Romp concert series! Thanks to everyone who came out. We hope to see you at the next market on June 14th!

Here are some pictures from our big opening day:

earlybird shoppers brave the chilly/drizzly morning

local artist Steve Frost visited the market to pick up some cool gear

a crowd gathers to hear the bands

hooray for the bubble machine!!

J & J cornhole boards set up on the sidewalk for people to play

Rock-n-Romp!

new to the market this year: Bette's Bags!

lovely facepainting was provided at the Rock-n-Romp booth :)

Exit Clov closed out the show with an awesome performance.

See you all again on June 14th!

Awesome Music Lineup!

This year, we have a great schedule of bands lined up to play at our events (see the music lineup under the vendor links to the right). For our big May 'kickoff' market on May 10th, we're thrilled to be working with Rock-n-Romp !!

Rock-n-Romp is a local concert series that invites local rock bands to put on kid-friendly concerts. In her own words Rock-n-Romp organizer, Debbie describes the shows as:

...a family friendly concert series that showcases fantastic local musicians and bands. Shows are held during the day in a relaxed, kid-safe environment, and while the volume is lower than a typical concert, the music still ROCKS. You may hear a kiddie song every once in a while, but these shows are about the kind of music you listened to BEFORE YOU HAD KIDS.

fun!!!

Our featured Musicians on opening day (5/10) are Carol Bui, Gist and Exit Clov!! We are extatic.
Come out and see the free show between noon and 4pm, while checking out all of our awesome vendors on the square (Market hours are 10am-4pm)
See you there!

(poster design by the famous/infamous Ben Claassen III)

Two weeks to go before opening day!

Well, two and a half, but you get the point! Below is a press release for our opening day market which takes place as part of Arlington's Neighborhood Day Festivities!:

The 2008 season of the Ballston Arts & Crafts Market Kicks Off! Saturday, May 10th, 10am - 4pm
part of Arlington's Neighborhood Day Festivities

The Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership is pleased to present the Opening Day of the 2008 Ballston Arts + Crafts Market on Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 10am-4pm. Sponsored by the Ballston- Virginia Square Partnership, The Ballston Arts + Crafts Market runs Second Saturdays from May to October in Welburn Square, at N. Fairfax and Stuart Street, across from the Ballston Metro station. It is conveniently located near the Ballston Common Mall, the Ellipse Arts Center, and a wide array of restaurants, cafés and shops. Visitors coming from DC can ride metro to Ballston (orange) or take the 38B bus from Farragut Square.

Now in its fifth year, the Ballston Arts & Crafts Market is pleased to present visitors with the best of the best of the area's local artists, artisans and independent designers. It is truly a unique shopping experience where you can peruse an array of handmade items sold by the artists who make them. Artists are selected by a jury from a large pool of submissions to ensure a quality market with items for men, women, adults and kids alike! Items you will find at the market on May 10th include silkscreened men's and women's tees by Fresh Produce, artisan jewelry from vendors like Dandelion Bleu and Inedible Jewelry, recycled glass bottle cheeseboards by Mary Ellen Larkins, handmade soaps by Penelope Spa, and your very own backyard cornhole set by J & J Cornhole Boards! For a full list of market vendors, check out the vendor list on the right ->

This year we are pleased to continue our free concert series between the hours of noon and 4pm. On May 10th, we present you with Rock-n-Romp!! A family friendly rock concert featuring local indie rock bands playing music that is both kid and adult friendly! This Month's headliner is a DC favorite, Exit Clov (http://www.exitclov.com/) During the show, kids can also visit the Rock-n-Romp booth to get their face painted or a temporary tattoo!

The market's opening day also coincides with Arlington County's Neighborhood Day which is a day devoted to what each neighborhood in Arlington has to offer. So, if you're a Ballston resident, take the time to check out what's going on where you live! Shop the cool handmade items (don't forget Mother's Day!), listen to some great music, and pick up a picnic lunch from any of the nearby cafe's and restaurants.

Hope to see you there!

Crafty Resource: the Crafty Bastards Blog!

Hey, all you crafters and craft-aficionados!

You may or may not know that the organizers of the Citypaper's famous (or infamous!) Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair have a blog that is updated regularly with stories about local craft events, the business of crafting, craft ideas, show opportunities and more!

The articles are written by a rotating crew of local craft artists, and they are really fun and inspiring to read!

Recently, I've had the honor of 'guest blogging' on the site, and have posted two stories (including one about the awesome vendor lineup we have here at the Ballston Arts & Crafts Market):

• KB the Car-free Crafter presents: Getting to your next craft show- without owning a car!
• In Search of: Vendors!…a guide to finding vendors for your upcoming indie craft event
  

The Crafty Bastards team has also recently posted information on how to apply to their upcoming fairs. Yes, I said 'fairs' plural-- this year the Citypaper will be holding TWO major craft events this year- one in June, and another one in September. More opportunities for area crafters! All of the information for applying to the shows can be found on the the Crafty Bastards Main Page.

Hooray for the DC-Metropolitan Area craft community! Be sure to check into the Crafty Blog often for cool crafty-news stories!!

Drumroll, Please...2008 Market Vendors!

It was a rigorous process, but we've made our vendor selections for this year's Arts & Crafts market!

Here's a sneak peek at the artists and designers we'll be featuring this year. (note: Now might be a good time to ask for that raise at work...there is so much great stuff!)

For a complete list of vendors check the 2008 vendor list to the right, and get ready for opening day on Saturday, May 10th 10am-4pm!!

vendor preview ::

dandelion blu

carol holmes

inedible jewelry

jules' jewels

fresh produce threads

magpie dc

acolloquist

madd hatter ceramics

this chickadee

AH Jewelry

Stitchberry

nancy sween pottery

i like seamonsters

bette's bags

Entries Are In!

The submissions for this year's market are in and we're getting ready to select this season's lineup of market vendors.

Submissions have come from near and far- We've received applications from a lot of Arlington and DC Metro area artists, as well as submissions from as far as Richmond, West Virginia, New Jersey and North Carolina! We're sure to have a fun, eclectic mix at every show with something for everyone.

Stay tuned to the blog in early April for the list of this year's artists.

*and if you've missed this year's deadline, you can still send applications to be considered on a space-available basis (jewelry is closed)

Citypaper Blog Post ::

Our friend Tina the Seamonster recently wrote about the Ballston A&C Market on the Citypaper's Crafty blog 'Cut the Craft'.

Read it here

And keep those applications coming in! The deadline is approaching- March 3rd.
To download the application click here

If you have any questions along the way feel free to contact me at: ballstonvasquare@gmail.com or by calling 703-528-3527