CRAFTERS COVE: Madison Street Festival’s market of quality, handmade goods

MADISON – Grab that perfect accent piece for your living room. Find a custom-made doll for your daughter. An original piece of artwork for the hallway. These and many more shopping finds, handmade by 60 artisans, await visitors in Crafter’s Cove at Madison Street Festival.

Susan Bailey and Brenda Parker serve as co-chairs for Crafters Cove. This area at MSF is located at the intersection of Church and Maple streets (east of Madison Methodist Church). A shuttle bus “picks up and lets out” riders on Maple Street, literally across the street from Crafter’s Cove, Parker said.

Bailey and Parker have a two-fold goal: First, for the vendors to have a “good day,” and, secondly, for visitors to enjoy looking at (and hopefully buying!) the variety of crafts that the vendors present. “Of course, a good day for the vendors means that they are able to sell some of their ‘goods,’” Parker said.

Preparation for Crafters Cove begins in May, usually around May 15, with vendor registration. “After vendors complete the online application, they are notified by email that they were accepted or not accepted. After that email is sent out, another email goes out with a Participation Agreement, which the vendor must sign and return,” Parker said.

After Parker and Bailey receive the signed agreement, they invoice vendors for their booth spaces. “Once booth payment is received, registration is complete!” Parker said. “Then we go to work, piecing together Crafters Cove, space by space.”

“We try our best to place vendors so that all of one type of crafts are not close together. We try to ‘scatter’ them. Around mid-September, we email detailed instructions for the day of Madison Street Festival, first Saturday in October,” Parker said.

The actual “laying out” of Crafters Cove occurs on the Thursday and Friday before the big day. “Susan and I could not do it without the help of her husband, David Bailey, and her daughter, Becky,” Parker said.

For a tasty snack, Bailey and Parker hope to schedule a vendor with fried pies, along with a food vendor that sells lemonade.

Unfortunately, not every vendor that completes registration can be accepted . . . for several reasons. “Every year, we receive more applications than we have room for. We only have a specific amount of area to work with,” Parker said.

Another reason for a rejection involves the type of craft that a vendor makes. For example, an area of crafting that has just literally exploded is crocheting and knitting. “We’ve had to turn away some of these crafters just simply because we can’t fill the entire area with crocheting and knitting!” she said.

Vendor areas can be divided into some of the following groups: crochet; knitting; jewelry; candles; home decor items; soaps, shampoos and other body care items; wooden items; hair bows; hand-painted gourds; and quilted goods. “We ask that all crafts be handmade,” Parker said.

Among the roster of vendors, a new and growing group is recycled and upcycled clothing. “The gourds are one of our most popular and fun!” Parker said. Quilted goods include quilts, makeup bags and oven mitts. Baby blankets, table toppers and zippered pouches will be available. Shoppers are encouraged to come and shop with Christmas in mind. For 2026, 60 vendors will be onsite.

The items that crafters sell are diverse. These vendors give just a glimpse of the outstanding merchandise that will be offered:

• Sara Ashly Art by Sara Sumner — “I handcraft artwork and home decor inspired by nature. I use materials like crushed glass, shells and dried flowers,” Sumner said. “Each piece is created to bring texture, softness and a sense of individuality into a space.”

Sumner’s themes include coastal landscapes, florals, trees and other organic elements. Her work results in one-of-a-kind pieces.

• The Little Green Heron by Nathan Dewitt – He handcrafts wooden flutes, kitchen dishes and utensils. “I’ve been doing woodworking about seven years. But I’ve just recently started selling my items,” Dewitt said.

In making these items, Dewitt uses a lathe — not a power saw. “Using a lathe is relaxing,” he said. (thelittlegreenheron.etsy.com)

• Knox Handmade Toys by Shane Knox “I create unique, handmade, natural toys that are fun for all ages and generations,” Knox said. He creates each piece from hardwoods procured from around the world . . . without the use of paint, stain or dye.

“We create toys, including trains, tractors, school buses, fire trucks, cars, airplanes, helicopters and more,” Knox said. (knoxhandmadetoys. com) “The vendors set their own prices. Most of them accept credit/debit cards. Of course, cash,” Parker said. “Some might accept checks, but that decision is up to each individual vendor.”

“Each vendor is like its own little store and therefore sets their own payment rules. I would say most prices fit between $10 to $40. Some items will be more expensive because of the amount of work that went into that item.”