We've Moved...

Our new site is gowestcraftfest.com, check it out! That is where we'll post further information on the Fall 2016 show, photos from past Fests and vendor information for all future events. You can join our mailing list or ask questions there too.

We'll leave this Blogger site up for a while as an archive, but won't continue to update it.

Thanks for supporting local independent makers!

Apply Now for the Fall Fest!

(EDIT 8/6/16: APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.)

Photo by Ryan Collerd

Calling all local artists and crafty makers, the time has come! Vendors can APPLY NOW for the Fall edition of Go West Craft Fest, to be held October 1st, 11-5 at The Woodlands (rain date October 2nd). This family-friendly event features creative wares by local makers, children's activities, live music, local food and acrobatic performances by Tangle Movement Arts' Tinycircus.

Click Here 

to fill out the vendor application; there is no fee to apply. Good luck, and we hope to see you at the Fest!

Coming this Saturday!

Go West Craft Fest features fresh work by 100 talented artisans. Find jewelry, accessories, ceramics, home accents, soaps & candles, toys, flowers, prints, stationery and much more.

(For some sneak peeks at what's in store, follow @gowestcraftfest on Instagram or search for #GoWestCraftFest).

Keep Mom in mind while browsing; Mother's Day is May 10th. Bring plenty of cash for those one-of-a-kind treasures (although many of our vendors accept credit cards, cash is king.)

Food by lovely local eateries: Taco Angeleno, Black Orchid (vegetarian comfort food), PB & Jams, The Satellite Cafe, Weckerly's Ice Cream and the Lil' Pop Shop.

Performance Schedule

11:00 The Green Tambourine
11:45 The Daisy Pickers
12:30 Philadelphia Woman's Slavic Ensemble
1:00 Jay Sand
1:45 The River Bones
2:30 Evan Cory Levine & co
3:15 tinycircus by Tangle Movement Arts
4:15 Shakey Lyman

Tours of the historic cemetery will be offered at noon and 3pm, beginning at the Woodlands table near the main entrance.

Kids can enjoy free activities provided by the Natural Creativity Learning Center and University City Arts League. There will be free face painting from noon. 

The Woodlands is easily accessible by SEPTA - take any "green line" trolley [except the 10] to 40th Street. The trolleys run underground east of 40th Street, and it's a free interchange to & from the Market/Frankford and Broad Street lines at City Hall. One note the 13 trolley is diverted to Market St for track repairs. Also to keep in mind, the Penn Relays are happening nearby on the same weekend, so public transit is highly encouraged. On I-76, use the Gray's Ferry exit rather than South Street. Street parking is available around The Woodlands. The grounds will once again be closed to vehicle traffic during the Fest, making for a safe family atmosphere.

Also on April 30 from 9:30-1 in Cedar Park is the Sojourner Truth Walk benefiting Camp Sojourner, Girls Leadership Camp, a nonprofit leadership program for  Philadelphia girls which offers year round workshops, service projects and arts programming along with the summer camp. Go West! Craft Fest is excited to have sponsored a walker and you can too by going to Sojourner Truth Walk and for more info girlsleadershipcamp.org. 

We're looking forward to a great day at the Woodlands and hope you can join us!  

New Fest Artwork by Sarah Ryan

Local artist and GWCF vendor Sarah Ryan has created another gorgeous Art Nouveau-inspired event poster. Thanks to Sarah for all of her hard work and talent. Pick up her illustrated prints, cards and jewelry at the Fest, along with wondrous works by 100 more talented local makers!

Vendor List Coming Soon

Thank you so much to all who applied! I sincerely wish we could have accepted all the talented folks who put forth such creative applications. We're so excited about our lineup. Lots of new folks, many from West Philly, and lots of old favorites too. We feel so honored that this Fest has grown to the point it has and that we are able to create another vibrant community event in the neighborhood that we love so much. We'll be putting out the final vendor list next week once everyone is finalized. 
Follow us on instagram for vendor sneak peeks and more!

Apply now for Go West! Craft Fest

Apply here!

April Fest - Save the Date

Saturday, April 30th will be the next Go West! Craft Fest at The Woodlands, with a rain date of the 31st. We'll open vendor applications in early February. Have a happy winter and vendors check back here in a few weeks. 

Thanks! 

Check List for Go West! on Sunday

Sunday is almost here and we cannot wait!  We're so excited to be using the amazing sanctuary space at The Rotunda as well and the back space that we know and love and  outside. There will be 100+ vendors selling a huge variety of handmade goods, really something for everyone!

Some helpful hints:

Tokens - The Rotunda is a short walk from the L, the 40th St trolley hub and on the 21 and 42 bus line. If you are going by car there's metered parking on Walnut St, and a pay Parking Garage across. Free parking can be a little tricky in that neighborhood, but not impossible!

Coming In - There are two entrances this year. In the front on Walnut St the doors will be wide open (with beautiful wreaths designed by Snapdragon Flowers) to the beautiful and not much seen historic Sanctuary filled with vendors. The side door (that's normally used) along the pathway to Locust will also be open and the original space will be filled with vendors as well. There is a fun loop to make to check out everyone.  

Cash - While many of our vendors accept credit cards, not all do. Did you know when you pay by credit card to a small business they're losing valuable dollars per transaction to a huge credit card company...? We're happy to take your cards, but we like cash much, much better!

Your Holiday Shopping List - We bet you won't go away empty handed!

A Babywearing Device - While there's considerably more room than in years past,  it'll still make your life easier with the littles and shopping if you wear them. There's plenty of stroller parking outside.

Friends -  chances are you'll run into someone you know, but it's nice to bring some friends along and make a day of it!

Your Sweet Tooth - With sweets and gift items from Weckerly's Ice Cream and The Lil Pop Shop  you won't go away hungry. 

Your Camera - The Sanctuary space is really breathtaking and you might just want to snap some pics or a selfie or two with your purchases. Don't forget to tag #gowestcraftfest over on Instagram; we love to repost our favorites! 

We can't wait to see you all there! Stop by Emily from VIX Emporium and Wilder from As the Crow Flies & Co's tables, both in the Sanctuary to say Hi. 

Vendor List

Sunday is coming up and we couldn't be more excited. The is the vendor list is here and to the right. Check out a pictorial view on Pinterest and all the vendor sneak peeks on Instagram. Following us on Facebook and Instagram is a great idea, it'll give you up to date info on all our new activity.

Follow As the Crow Flies & Co's board Holiday 2015 Go West! Craft Fest on Pinterest.

We're in full on Fest mode right now and hope to see you all there! Don't forget to tell you friends, with 100+ vendors in the beautiful Rotunda sanctuary and performance spaces there is really something for everyone on your list and for you too!

Vendor List Coming Soon!

Card by Black Heart Letterpress

Thank you to all the wonderfully talented vendors who applied for the Holiday Fest. We wish we could have chosen everyone! We had the largest number of applications for any Go West! event yet; it's so gratifying to see how widely the word has spread in only a few years.

We're excited to have a much bigger space this year in order to accommodate a larger group, almost triple the number of last year's vendors. This holiday season we'll have the gorgeous sanctuary space as well as the performance space we previously occupied. We'll have a lot more room for shoppers (we know it was cramped before) and more than 100 vendors in all, so be prepared for a great selection of handmade gifts to discover. There really will be something for everyone.

We'll be sharing our vendor list soon, so stay tuned!

FINAL DAYS to Apply for the Holiday Fest

If you're thinking of applying for December 13's Fest, get on it! Friday the 6th is the FINAL day that applications will be open. Find all the details and the vendor application here. We'll reply to all vendors about their acceptance status on Monday the 9th.

Please note, if you applied, please add "go west craft fest at g mail dot com" (correct punctuation, no spaces) to your email contacts list, or check your Spam folder regularly. We do send emails to multiple addresses, and we wouldn't want you to miss our message.

Also, extra special thanks to GWCF vendor Sarah Ryan of Sarah Draws Things for this year's event poster! Find her lovely prints, cards and ornaments, and works by many, many more artists, crafters and makers at the Rotunda, December 13.

Apply Now for the *Holiday* Fest

Applications for Go West Craft Fest's Holiday event are now open. Vendors can apply now to participate in this year's Fest, happening Sunday, December 13 from 10-4 at the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street in West Philadelphia. Click here for the vendor application.

We are thrilled to announce that this year, we intend to occupy not only the Rotunda's main room, but also the Sanctuary, a historic church with a majestic domed ceiling, 80 feet in diameter. The city required us to file particular paperwork to use this "soaring architectural treasure" due to its unrestored condition. The wheels are in motion, and with any luck, we can use this grand, sunlit space to host more than double the number of vendors as in previous years.

Looking forward to checking out all the vendor applications for what will be our biggest Holiday Fest yet!

Only 1 week away...

Go West Craft Fest is coming up soon... Saturday's the day! Join us at The Woodlands on September 19 from 11-5.

Find unique treasures by local makers -- like jewelry, ceramics, art, prints, stationery, home wares, children's items, bags, candles, soaps and more. Check out the complete vendor list here, and follow @gowestcraftfest on Instagram for sneak peeks of all the Fest-ive finds. 

Entertainment schedule:
11:00 The Green Tambourine, young students from the Baltimore Avenue music school show their stuff
12:00 Taupe, West Philly's premiere "yacht rock" cover band
1:00 Brady And The Bear, Americana Roots music, with elements of bluegrass and the essence of pure folk
2:00 Red Hot Ramblers, authentic Prohibition Era 1920s jazz ensemble
3:00 tinycircus, a family-friendly mix of aerial acrobatics, hoop dance, clowning, and knock-knock jokes by Tangle Movement Arts
4:15 Shakey Lyman, blues legend

Food by Taco Angeleno, Black Orchid vegetarian, Weckerly's Ice Cream, Lil' Pop Shop, and Satellite Cafe.

Children's craft activities by 34th Woodland Rangers scout troop, and University City Arts League.

Free face painting for kids by Naja Meeks.

Explore the historic 18th century Hamilton Mansion, and learn about its newly restored Cryptoporticus. Decades before the Woodlands was a cemetery, it was the estate of botanist William Hamilton, grandson of prominent Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton, who originally acquired the property.

We hope to see you next Saturday* for another fabulous Fest! 

*In case of rain, the event will be moved to Sunday. If that happens, we'll update this blog, the VIX Emporium newsletter (sign up on the left side of the VIX home page), and our social media outlets (Facebook and Instagram) by 7am Saturday.

Fall 2015 Applications are OPEN!

Crafty vendors of the Philly region can apply now for the Fall 2015 edition of Go West Craft Fest. We're returning to The Woodlands on September 19 (rain date September 20), with 100 local vendors, live music, food from local eateries and performances by Tangle Movement Arts' "tinycircus". There is no fee to apply, and the last day to apply is August 7th. Click here for the vendor application and more information. Looking forward to another fabulous Fest!

Looking Back at April's Fest & Forward to Fall...

Many thanks to all the vendors, performers and shoppers who came out to last month's Go West Craft Fest. Almost 4,500 attendees walked through the gates of the Woodlands that lovely spring day. Enjoy the highlight photos here, courtesy of David Scott.

And we've set a date for the Fall edition: Go West Craft Fest is returning to the Woodlands on September 19, 2015, along with the Tinycircus by Tangle Movement Arts. Mark your calendar! Vendor applications will open in early July.

We are happy and proud to bring this fun, community-building event to our neighborhood, and we hope to see you there.

Cheers,
Emily & Wilder

Details for Saturday's Go West Craft Fest

Go West Craft Fest features wondrous works by 100 amazing artisans. Find jewelry, accessories, ceramics, home accents, soaps & candles, toys, terrariums, prints, stationery and much more.

(For some sneak peeks at what's in store, follow @gowestcraftfest on Instagram or search for #GoWestCraftFest).

Keep Mom in mind while browsing; Mother's Day is May 10th. Bring plenty of cash for those one-of-a-kind treasures (although many of our vendors accept credit cards, cash is king.)

Food by lovely local eateries: Aksum, Taco Angeleno, Black Orchid (vegetarian comfort food), Kung Fu Hoagies, The Satellite Cafe, Weckerly's Ice Cream and the Lil' Pop Shop.

Schedule of performances: 
11:00 The Green Tambourine 
12:30 Jay Sand, All Around This World 
1:30  Silverton 
2:30 Philadelphia Women's Slavic Ensemble
3:00 Tinycircus by Tangle Movement Arts
4:00 Shakey Lyman & Sean Dorn

And the schedule of  Woodlands tours:
Noon - Wonders of The Woodlands- Join a guide for a stroll through the grounds to learn about the unique 54 acre site, its monuments, and famous residents.
2:00 - Hamilton's Horticultural Legacy- Walk the grounds and learn the significant horticultural history of The Woodlands, from the 18th century to today. Tour-goers will leave with a seed packet of flowers cultivated by William Hamilton at The Woodlands!
Meet at the Woodlands table near the main entrance. Tours are $10 for adults, free for accompanying children and Woodlands members.

Kids can enjoy free craft activities provided by the University City Arts League and the 34th Woodland Rangers Scout troop. There will also be free face painting (time TBA).

The Woodlands is easily accessible by SEPTA - take any "green line" trolley [except the 10] to 40th Street. The trolleys run underground east of 40th Street, and it's a free interchange to & from the Market/Frankford and Broad Street lines at City Hall. Street parking is also available.

Also to keep in mind, the Penn Relays are happening nearby on the same weekend, so public transit is highly encouraged. On I-76, use the Gray's Ferry exit rather than South Street. The grounds of the Woodlands is closed to vehicle traffic during the Fest.

Though we are hoping for great weather, the Fest will be moved to the 26th in case of rain.

Hope to see you there!

Spring Vendor List!

The snow is melting (again) and we're thinking ahead to the warm April breezes. We're excited to announce our list of vendors for Go West! at The Woodlands. It's a terrific bunch of talented folks! There's a Pinterest page for some visual samples as well. We'll have local food, kids crafts and music along with the tinycircus aerialists to thrill you with their amazing feats.

Like our facebook page for news and updates and tell all your friends about it there too on the invite. 

Event graphic by Suzanne Francis -- find her and her prints at the Fest!

Announcing Another GRID Magazine Partnership!

We are thrilled to be partnering with GRID magazine yet again for their upcoming Craft issue in April! GRID, Philadelphia's free guide to all things local and sustainable, is publishing a 16-page feature on 3 great Spring craft events: Go West Craft Fest, Crafty Balboa and Art Star Craft Bazaar. The special insert, featuring general event information and spotlights on some participants, will be included in all 30,000+ copies of the April issue, which are distributed in coffee shops, retail outlets, and at the events themselves. Last year's insert was a great success, and we are thrilled to join forces with our fellow crafty organizers to collectively promote our events and our vendors.

GRID, "towards a sustainable Philadelphia".

GRID's devoted readers are passionate about supporting local, small businesses, like our craft vendors and nearby shops, eateries and service providers. We have always supported GRID because they actively support local, independent businesses, which helps to build communities and strengthen local economies. If you have a local business you'd like to promote to GRID's readers, you can find more information here. Advertising rates are very reasonable, and there is a 10% discount for spaces reserved by February 13. We hope your business can join in this exciting partnership.

Applications are now OPEN for the Spring Fest!

The time has come... vendors may apply now for the Spring show, to be held Saturday, April 25 at The Woodlands, 40th & Woodland in West Philadelphia. It's our 7th (!) Fest at the wonderful Woodlands, featuring local art & craft, live music, acrobatic performances by the TinyCircus, and food by local eateries. We are looking forward to checking out all of your creations, so please apply now!

And in case you haven't seen it, here's a really nice article about our lovely venue, published recently in the Philadelphia Inquirer. We are so happy to help raise awareness about "this amazing place that nobody knows about", as Woodlands director Jessica Baumert puts it.

Have a great weekend!

Checklist for SUNDAY'S GO WEST! Craft Fest

Sunday is almost here and we can't wait! Everyone is so excited for what will be an excellent day of local, handmade shopping. So far the weather looks nice and sunny so plan to shop both indoor and outdoor vendors, For this holiday event we've really tried to have a little something handmade for everyone on your list.

Don't forget to bring your:

Tokens - The Rotunda is a short walk from the L, the 40th St trolley hub and on the 21 and 42 bus line. If you are going by car there's metered parking on Walnut St, and a pay Parking Garage across. Free parking can be a little tricky in that neighborhood, but not impossible!

Cash - While many of our vendors accept credit cards, not all do. Did you know when you pay by credit card to a small business they're losing valuable dollars per transaction to a huge credit card company...? We're happy to take your cards, but we like cash much, much better!

Your Holiday Shopping List - We bet you won't go away empty handed!

A Babywearing Device - Last year people were glad they did! It's easy to park your stroller outside though. 

Friends -  chances are you'll run into someone you know, but it's nice to bring some friends along and make a day of it!

Your Sweet Tooth - With sweets and gift items from Weckerleys Ice Cream and The Lil Pop Shop  you won't go away hungry. 

Just like last year we'll have select vendors outside and upstairs in the balcony. More shopping for you and the chance to see the space in a different light.

Can't wait to see you all there! Stop by Emily from VIX Emporium and Wilder from As the Crow Flies & Co's tables, right as you walk in to say Hi.