To market! To market! I Made It! Market showcases artisans\’ wares
I Made It! Market showcases artisans\\\\\\\' wares
The wondrous art Mother Nature displays each autumn will soon be complemented by works of established artists at four venues across Western Pennsylvania.
I Made It! Market will soon launch its 19th season, featuring holiday events, displays with handcrafted items, small-batch gourmet foods, craft spirits and gifts.
This year’s market will take place at four locations in Allegheny County, all within a half-hour to 45-minute commute from the city of Washington.
“We will have more than 200 individual artists (overall) at these four events,” said Carrie Nardini of Canonsburg, founder of marketing and nearly everything else related to the I Made It! Market venture.
I Made It! is her brainchild. She describes it as “Pittsburgh’s original nomadic artisan marketplace,” which she said has been “producing vibrant pop-up events.”
This season’s program will launch Nov. 7 at The Block Northway (8013 McKnight Road, North Hills) beginning at 11 a.m.
The program there, according to Nardini, will be conducted on two floors to accommodate more than 110 local micro-businesses selling handmade products, small-batch food goods, baked items and offerings from local distilleries.
Food and coffee trucks will be on site, and there will be ample free parking and easy access to Block Northway’s retail outlets.
The second event will take place Nov. 21 at Galleria of Mt. Lebanon (1500 Washington Road). It will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
An estimated 80-plus curated food vendors, distillers and bakers will be on hand on a single floor of the Galleria, which offers gift shopping, dining options as well.
A recent social media post declared that the mall would shut down in November, but management at the Galleria said that was untrue, telling KDKA-TV, “The mall remains open and will continue to welcome customers.”
These initial two events are titled “I Made It! for the Holidays.”
The South Side Works in Pittsburgh (424 S. 27th St.) will play host to I Made It! Merry & Bright on Dec. 6. Nardini said there will be “a special boutique event placing local artists directly inside host businesses throughout the Works complex. She added that “specific artist placements and full event details” will be announced.
Robinson Town Center will feature the final event: the I Made It! Last Minute Market on Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This event is slated for the former IKEA Warehouse (adjacent to Guitar Center). Nardini said this is a large-scale market that will “showcase over 100 local artists, a curated Vintage Village, music, gourmet food and interactive programming.
There will be a 10 a.m. early-bird hour that will give ticket holders initial access to select goods before general admission opens at 11.
Nardini also has an I Made It! Market Retail Shop at the nearby Mall at Robinson, where shoppers can support local artisans and small businesses.
Nardini – who can truly say of her business “I Made It!” – said she strives to help artisans and others make it.
“We try to have opportunities for artists. We had to cancel events during the summer because of rain, which made it tough for them.”
She plans to expand her business.
“We’re always looking for new places,” Nardini said. “We appreciate the shoppers we have had and hope to spread the word to attract new ones.”