What We Do

Everything we do at Handmade Arcade is designed to advance our mission of empowering makers through professional development and connections to customers. We are committed to centering our values of anti-racism, transparency, equity, collaboration, and financial sustainability in all that we do.

Pictured: Products by Jenna Vanden Brink Ceramics (Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois)

Shopping Markets

We host large-scale, high-quality markets where makers sell their handmade products to thousands of shoppers.

  • Our Holiday Market remains our flagship event and longest-running juried market. What began in 2004 as a grassroots indie craft fair has grown into Pittsburgh’s largest handmade shopping event, featuring 275+ vendors and welcoming 10,000+ shoppers annually to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center during the first weekend of December. Makers and shoppers travel from across Western PA, Ohio, West Virginia, and beyond. HA’s Holiday Market was named one of “35 Indie Craft Fairs Every Creative Person Needs to Visit” by BuzzFeed.

  • Formerly called the Spring Market, the Emerging Craft Market is our juried market for early career and emerging makers. In 2026, the market will grow from featuring 30 makers to over 90 makers. This market is designed to help emerging and early career makers thrive in the region’s creative economy through offerings such as pre-event workshops, business-building resources, and visibility to our audience of shoppers.

  • Launching in late March 2026, our new Modern Craft Market fills a much-needed gap in Pittsburgh’s creative economy. This new, high-profile juried market will feature 150+ highly skilled established makers who specialize in using traditional handcraft skills to design and produce handmade, contemporary products. This new market reflects HA’s responsiveness to maker needs and the growing demand for diverse sales opportunities in the Pittsburgh region.

Pictured: 2023 Holiday Market Shopper (Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois)

Shopper Resources

We help shoppers connect with and shop from locally-owned creative small businesses all year - not just at our markets.

  • Our online Maker Directory features 200+ regional maker small businesses. For makers, the Maker Directory provides a platform to showcase products year-round, with active promotion from Handmade Arcade to help makers connect with new customers. For shoppers, it offers a convenient way to support local, independent makers, discover unique handmade goods, and shop small throughout the year.

  • What began as an online alternative to in-person shopping markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Virtual Catalogs now accompany every in-person market. Our Virtual Catalogs give makers who were juried into our markets additional opportunities to connect with online shoppers. This digital visibility supports both in-person sales and broader brand awareness for participating makers.

  • As part of our mission to help makers and shoppers build connections all year long, we maintain a curated, interactive map of markets and retail shops that shoppers can save on Google. The map provides details about where to shop handmade products created by talented local makers all year long, not just during Handmade Arcade markets.

Pictured: Stitches & Stems by Liv (Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois)

Maker Accelerator Programs

We support cohorts of emerging youth makers and BIPOC makers in their entrepreneurial journeys through workshops, funding, mentorship, and promotion.

  • Piloted in 2023, our BIPOC Maker Accelerator program provides funding, support, exposure, and connections to BIPOC makers to support their ability to thrive in our region’s craft and maker landscape. Participating makers receive a $1,000 business development stipend, free booths at Handmade Arcade markets, marketing and promotions, professional product photography, 1:1 business consulting, and more.

  • Our Youth Maker Accelerator program provides individual youth makers and selected schools and/or community groups with a unique, real-world sales experience to sell handmade products at Handmade Arcade markets. Participating young people receive business stipends, workshops on business development, free booths at our markets, and more.

Pictured: Products by Prachi’s Bohemian Art (Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois)

Maker Education & Support

We provide year round support for makers through resource-sharing, networking opportunities, workshops, and more.

  • Our Marker Resource Hub features artist opportunities, entrepreneurial support, places to sell your products, and more.

  • We produce a monthly newsletter called Maker Mail featuring content specifically for makers, including Handmade Arcade news, maker features, resources & opportunities from partners, and more.

  • We have an online Maker Handbook available to all makers with support on inventory planning, product pricing, booth display ideas, and more to help makers successfully sell their products at in-person shopping markets.

  • Launching in late 2025, our new Maker Affinity Groups will provide makers with the opportunity to connect around shared cultural or personal identities as they build their maker support network.

  • Launching in late 2025, our Maker Mentor Program will pair emerging and established makers to help foster resource-sharing, relationship-building, and potential collaborations.

Pictured: Sponsor Wood-N-You Like It (Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois)

Creative Partnerships

We actively build and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships that benefit the maker community.

  • Hands-On Handmade Arcade (HOHA) brings the value of handmade goods to life through live artistic demonstrations and hands-on making activities at our markets. HOHA also allows us to collaborate with local artists and community arts organizations to help amplify local creative talent.

  • Our Small Business Sponsorship program provides small maker businesses the opportunity for year-round advertising and exposure to our audiences in exchange for sponsorships that sustain our programs. We are passionate about seeing maker businesses grow, and our Small Business Sponsorship program allows us to keep our events centered on handmade businesses.

  • Our Corporate Sponsorship program allows us to keep our markets and support for makers growing while collaborating with regional and national corporate partners who share our values and want to be part of helping our local creative economy thrive.

  • Our media sponsors amplify our reach and help us connect with more makers, shoppers, and supporters. Collaborations with local media partners keep our advertising dollars hyperlocal and more effective.