Indiana Artisan Marketplace

First time attending this market and already looking forward to the next one! So many talented local artists under one roof... I was like a kid in a candy store! Walked away with Bourbon Balls, Jewelry, Honey... and lots of future gift ideas! Bourbon fans look up: gethappyball.com these candies are amazing! Just don't eat too many before driving ;)

When we arrived this afternoon, the weather was horribly cold and windy outside. But inside the AgHort Building, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, it was warm and filled with approximately 94 Hoosier exhibitors selling 20 different types of products. The well-organized and interesting booths kept the crowd moving smoothly even though the isles were congested at times. The Package Pickup area by the entrance was a blessing and eliminated the need to drag packages from booth to booth.We found several exhibitors we've enjoyed at past shows as well as several first-time exhibitors at this year's marketplace. Ceramics and Pottery are always my favorite exhibitors. This year, I purchased gorgeous pottery from Carol Bell of Blue Moon Pottery out of Noblesville, Indiana. My husband fell in love with a couple of pieces of photography by Ted Tarquinio of TLT Photography from Louisville, Kentucky. Exquisite colors, and we can't wait to frame them.Phenomenal leather purses, by Kerry Moncrieff, were available to purchase, plus worth the investment. There appeared to be an abundance of extremely talented artists displaying their stunning paintings, watercolors, and drawings.Other areas I greatly enjoy are the spectacular wooden cutting/cheese boards, chocolates, candies, baked goods, sauces, and flavored vinaigrettes, along with the breweries and winery's products. Basically, anything food related, earthy woods, and pottery grab my attention.I'm glad we decided to attend even if the weather was crappy. Luckily, we found a parking spot ($10) directly in front of the Ag building entrance and was in and out within a couple of minutes. We definitely plan on attending this affordable event ($10) again next year. If you enjoy shopping, mark your calendar for the next show.

Enjoyed this blustery Saturday afternoon at the Indiana artisan market at the fairgrounds. There are some super talented people displaying their creations! Lots of beautiful, jewelry, art, pottery, woodwork and textiles on display. I talked myself out of buying a gorgeous piece of art, but I might go back! Additionally, there was a section for us foodies! Lots of local, honey, bourbon, wine, maple syrup, beer, cheese, and lots and lots of chocolate in Easter treats ! Really nice market showcasing, Indiana talent.

I kinda like the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, but perhaps it's just not my cup of tea. If you like to walk at a leisurely pace and talk to food and craft vendors, then this is definitely your scene. Me? I like to walk at a swift pace, talk to no one and avoid all eye contact. I think if they made a marketplace where I could just look at stuff without engaging in conversation with the maker, or if the food and crafts were just displayed and the makers were not there staring at me, it would be fabulous. Alas, no one has made a marketplace for introverts with social anxiety, and so this one gets three stars from me. But I'm sure you will love it, so you should definitely go.Because I love food, the highlight of the Indiana Artisan Marketplace is definitely the free samples. There are so many! There were homemade marshmallows, olive oil, caramels, hot sauce, cheese, bread, chocolate ... even wine! You can tell that other people really enjoy the samples, too, because there are always crowds around these booths.It's pretty neat to see the level of talent that abounds in Indiana. I saw so many creative endeavors (as I was speed walking by). One dude even had a booth with his photographs that he had taken around Indianapolis. I just love the fact that people can create things with their hands that they envisioned with their minds, and then put themselves out there to sell their creations. It's a neat thing to see.One thing to note: This is NOT a kid-friendly event. There are a lot of breakable objects everywhere, and other than eating food samples, there is nothing for kids to do. I would suggest leaving the little ones home for this outing.

My first time at this event, I wasn't sure where to go, but I eventually found the exhibition hall and saw five long rows of vendors. The outside rows and the back row were dominated by food products and wine. The inner rows had more jewelry, pottery, wood craft, and artists.Once inside, I decided to do a walk through just to see what caught my eye and not regret making a purchase one place just to find something I might like better later. (Note: They have an option where you can store your purchases and not have to carry them, since many of the food content comes in glass jars that can become heavy and strain your grip when using a plastic bag.)Having completed my walk through, I then began doing my tastings and that was my downfall. So many really good products, that I knew I was going to be spending some bucks! I ended up getting some apple butter, blueberry lemon jelly, banana butter, two kinds of cheese spreads, a spicy yellow mustard, a ramp kraut, and two dipping sauces: Caramel with ginger and dark chocolate hot fudge. Other than just eating out of the jars, I need to figure out meals and desserts that I can take advantage of these flavors.I went on Sunday morning and the crowds weren't bad. Some vendors seemed loaded with customers while others with similar products had none....If I had to guess, it was about being outgoing and drawing people in. All seemed to have samples available.There were some really beautiful art pieces on hand, but since I wasn't looking to make a purchase, I really only looked at the pieces from outside their booths. Still, if you are interested in acquiring something, there was a diversity of styles and mediums available.Note that parking was running $5 in addition to the $10 per person entrance fee.Review #258

The Indiana Artisan Marketplace was on point this year! This is the first time I've been and I look forward to going again in the future. There were so many vendors there! There were three or four aisles with vendors on both sides. The goods included different woodworking, jewelry, art, paintings, photographs, crafts, snacks, and wine! It was all very neat to see. It was awesome to see so many handmade items. I spent at least two hours wondering the isles. There was a kombucha brewer from Carmel sampling different flavors - I really enjoyed the lavender! The Amazing Potato Chip Company (located at city market) was there (they are pretty amazing potato chips!)My favorite part were all the different wineries! There were at least ten vendors from all over the state, all providing free wine samples. It was neat that there were a lot of wines made with grapes grown in Indiana. I enjoy trying those. There were some great wines and I will be adding some of the wineries to my list to visit in the future!

The Indiana Artisan Marketplace was amazing! They had a large variety of vendors and goods (wine, food, crafts, jewelry, paintings, photograph and so much more)!I spent about two hours walking through looking at the art and sampling different foods and wine. They had about 10 Indiana wineries. The food vendors sold various items including kombucha, chocolate, BBQ sauce, marshmallows and several others. The market is laid out really well. They have all the food on one aisle and the wineries down a different aisle. The goods were high quality and pricey, but accurately priced for being handmade. The goods and art was original and unique. Some of the art they had included pottery, large paintings, clothing, jewelry and much more! I'll be looking forward to going back next year!

If you haven't been to the Indiana Artisan Marketplace yet, I suggest you check it out. It's an excellent way to showcase our local artisans in one venue (wsg. select Kentucky artisans). These artists are not limited to your traditional art forms like painting and sculpting. They also include pottery, woodworking, furniture, metals, photography, fudge, jewelry, wine, chocolate, cheese, pierogis, caramels, kombucha, simple syrups, honey, and confections. I LOVE the wide range of artistry featured at this event!The 2015 marketplace had about 150 artisans participate, so the hall was pretty packed. For $10, patrons could wander up and down every aisle perusing each artisan's booth. (Side note: don't want to pay? Volunteer at the event, and you'll receive free admission either before or after your shift.). On the two outer aisles were the food and beverage booths. (!!!) Several Yelp-approved artisans were present, such as New Fangled Confections, Best Chocolate In Town, Sage's Simple Syrups, 240sweet, Fermenti Artisan, and Pierogi In A Pinch. It was great to see familiar faces as well as meet other artisans I hadn't heard of until the marketplace (see my review of The Sweet Shoppe). I spent the majority of my time in these two sections sampling sweets, cheeses, and wines. (Surprise, surprise) All of the artisans were very eager to talk about their product, giving you plenty of opportunities to learn about what you were snacking or sipping on. If you chose to buy, some offered some sort of special if you bought in bulk. (Hence why they are four bags of homemade marshmallows in my pantry.)Some other neat features that the organizers provide are complimentary coat check and a safe place to store your purchases until you leave the market. (This came in handy for the trio who bought 12 cases of wine from one winery alone.) The Indiana Artisan Marketplace prioritizes their patrons, going out of their way to keep them comfortable and give them the best possible experience. I really enjoyed my afternoon at the Indiana Artisan Marketplace and look forward to attending again.

This is the 2nd year I've attended the marketplace, and it's fantastic each year so far! This year I did not have a companion attending with me so I got to browse at my leisure and chat with the artisans until my heart was content! There were some businesses I was looking forward to seeing again and some new ones that I will now be sure to frequent. It's a good idea to bring a big bag with you for all your purchases. Also, you might want to wander around and look at all the booths before making too many purchases since you will need time to make up your mind and prioritize your spending! This year there weren't as many wineries as last year so that made me a little sad, especially since a couple that were missing I had really been looking forward to visiting and buying from! The coat check was very handy as you never know what Indiana spring is going to bring - cold and snowy today. This is a great opportunity to buy gifts for birthdays and holidays so plan accordingly!

A yearly event that stretches the mind and delights the senses! For $10 (plus $5 for parking), you can see artisans and their craft in a lovely setting. Food and drink samples are readily available and as Allison F stated, volunteers help make the event run smoothly! I wasn't in the market for large scale pieces, but if I were, I would definitely mark the event on my calendar. Prices vary and there is something for every price point; you just have to find it!