Looking for high-quality, local, handmade holiday gifts this year? Find everything in one place at the Petaluma Holiday Crafterino. After three years on hiatus, the holiday market, featuring dozens of artisans, returns to the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building on Sunday, Nov. 12.
One of the North Bay’s premier local and handmade events, the Crafterino opens its doors for one day only with a curated selection from over 50 vendors, featuring hand-crafted clothing, food items, housewares, jewelry, original artwork and more. Among many others, artisans include Johnny Hirschmugle, Krinkly Batiks, Bird vs. Bird Designs, Catherine Reece Pottery, Recover Your Thoughts and Blue Ribbon Salvage.
“Offerings at a variety of price points make this a unique opportunity to prepare for holiday gift giving or to treat yourself to something truly special,” says Melissa Abercrombie, the event’s co-organizer.
Crafterino fills a niche for holiday shoppers who want quality gifts and also to support the local economy with their gift giving. All artists and craftspersons are from the San Francisco Bay Area, with most from Sonoma County. Every vendor will be selling personally designed or crafted items, including pottery, hand printed tea towels, bath and self care products, jams and jellies, clothing and jewelry, fine art and toys.
This year, a youth artists’ booth in the lobby will highlight and serve as an incubator for young artists to interact professionally as artisans with the local community. They will be offering block printed t-shirts, cards, original art and prints.
To top it off, the first 100 guests will receive custom, reusable, silk-screened Crafterino swag bags. Raffles for products and gift certificates from Petaluma businesses will take place every hour during the event.
It really is a win-win-win. Shoppers go home with holiday gifts for their entire list, local artisans and buyers connect, and all proceeds from the raffle and the door ($2, and children under 12 free) benefit the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), a local organization that helps those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The Petaluma Holiday Crafterino event has raised nearly $20,000 for COTS over the years—and it’s money well spent—COTS’ clients attain permanent housing at about twice the rate of clients at agencies nationwide.
“It’s an honor to be associated with such a well-organized and welcoming event,” says Eileen Morris, client enrichment manager at COTS.
Craftarino is organized by a group of local artisans, including Melissa Abercrombie of Blue Ribbon Salvage, Alice Kelzer of Alice Frost Studio and Jennifer Paisley of Blockhead Press.
During COVID, the event went on pause for three years. But there was enough interest from the community to bring the fair back this year.
“After an outpouring of interest, we knew it was valuable to the community to continue this Petaluma tradition,” says co-organizer Kelzer.
The Petaluma Holiday Crafterino will be held Sunday, Nov. 12, 11am to 4pm, at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building. Admission: $2 donation, children under 12 free. More info: holidaycrafterino.com.
