Lucan craft show aims to make vendor scene welcoming for newcomers
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By Dan Rolph
An annual craft show in Lucan is ramping up for another year of welcoming a diverse slate of artisans to the community, continuing its decade-long tradition of being a space for crafters to find their footing in the sometimes overwhelming realm of shows.
Held on Mother’s Day weekend each year, the Not Your Mother’s Craft Show is organized by Sheena and Dave Clark, who have lived in Lucan for 21 years.
Sheena, who owns Bearly in Business, where she creates teddy bears, pillows and quilts made from clothing, started the show after participating in other established shows and finding them challenging as a crafter.
“The first one we did cost I think $800, and we were so stressed,” she said. “It was so much money, we didn’t know how to set up, we didn’t know what to bring. Everything felt so scary, and I didn’t want to keep reaching out to the organizer.”
Those experiences led to the idea of creating a craft show for newer vendors where they can find their footing to one day take on larger shows elsewhere. That show materialized in the first Not Your Mother’s Craft Show in 2016, where as many as 2,500 shoppers visited the Lucan Biddulph Community Memorial Centre to peruse the vendor setups.
Dave said the show often welcomes vendors who have been honing their craft for years, but who may have been nervous about getting into the craft show world.
“We make it as easy and comfortable for them as we can,” he said. “Nothing’s better than when a stranger comes up and talks about how much they like your product. That’s a big thing.”
“I love bringing new vendors in,” said Sheena. “I love getting people excited about doing it.”
Since the first show in 2016, Sheena said she’s learned a great deal about what it takes to ensure the Lucan show’s success. Work starts in September the year before the event when she begins creating the list of vendors, welcoming back many who have participated before while also reaching out to potential new vendors.
“You need some change,” said Sheena.
Change also came to the show several years ago with the addition of a second day, turning it into a weekend-long event.
As a juried craft show, Sheena said she takes a hands-on approach when curating what crafters bring to their booths, aiming to avoid duplication and ensuring a diverse selection of goods for shoppers as they browse through the vendors.
With the show aligning with Mother’s Day, Sheena said they hope to be a place where shoppers can spend time with their mothers. This year’s show has nearly 150 spots for vendors as well as an eating area, which she said makes the show a place where you can spend the day.
“We really want to be the Mother’s Day place to be,” said Sheena. “People can relax and have a coffee.”
The show also coincides with Lucan’s town-wide yard sale, and Dave said the combination of both events sees the town welcoming visitors from throughout the region and beyond.
“It’s really drawn a lot more out-of-town people, and the numbers are reflecting it,” he said.
Throughout its decade of welcoming vendors to the community, Sheena said there have also been challenges they’ve had to overcome. Construction at the arena and the COVID-19 pandemic saw the number of visitors drop substantially.
As well, the craft show community has been left dealing with a growing problem of scammers, and Sheena said the Lucan show is no exception to that trend. Scammers often reach out to potential vendors who publicly express interest in participating in a craft show, posing as organizers and pressuring those potential vendors to send money.
“It’s so frustrating,” said Sheena. “It’s worse every year.”
Despite those challenges, Sheena said the show is on track to not only welcome as many visitors as its most successful year, but that they’re expecting to grow for years to come.
“I’m super proud of it,” she said.
The Not Your Mother’s Craft Show will take place May 9 and 10 at the Lucan Biddulph Community Memorial Centre.
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