New Venue for GO WEST! Craft Fest: The Woodlands!

We are delighted to announce that this Spring's Craft Fest, our biggest yet, will be held at The Woodlands, one of West Philly's most special spots. Located at 40th Street where Baltimore, Chester and Woodland Avenues meet, this 54-acre "historic mansion, cemetery and landscape" is a serene and natural green space, popular with joggers, dog walkers and history buffs, as well as the final resting place of over 30 thousand Philadelphians since 1840.

The Craft Fest will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 11-5 (rain date April 15) just inside the main gates of the grounds, directly across Woodland Avenue from the 40th St. trolley portal (served by the 11, 13, 34 and 36 trolleys). In addition to FIFTY of Philly's finest makers of jewelry, art prints, home goods, paper goods, ceramics, wood crafts, clothing, accessories, toys, soaps, candles and more, there will be live entertainment! Jay Sand of All Around This World will do a kid's music set at 1 pm, Tiny Circus will perform aerial feats at 3 pm, and there will be random acts of juggling throughout the day. Face painting for kids, too!

The Craft Fest is in a space that is adjacent to but set apart from the cemetery, so show-goers need not encounter any grave sites if they don't wish to. More intrepid visitors may stroll around the grounds and view historic grave markers and monuments, including notables such as architect Paul Philippe Cret (1876-1945), financier Francis Martin Drexel (1792-1863), artist Thomas Eakins (1844-1916), abolitionist Mary Grew (1813-96), surgeon Samuel Gross (1805-84), and Commodore David Porter (1780-1843). The elegant 18th century neoclassical mansion of botanist William Hamilton, contemporary of John Bartram and grandson of the original "Philadelphia lawyer" Andrew Hamilton, will also be open for tours. His former estate is now the home of some of our state's stateliest trees, including a handful of Pennsylvania champion specimens, some originally collected by Hamilton himself.

We are so excited to be holding this Spring's GO WEST! Craft Fest at The Woodlands.

See you in West!