Velvet dog collars, dragon wings, Crafty Feast brings together wild gifts for 10 years

The pop-up tents were flying around on the south side of Main Street in Columbia. They wreaked havoc on the irreplaceable, handmade goods that makers had brought to sell. But Crafty Feast survived. Now, the indie craft show founded by Debi Schadel and Tracie Broom is turning 10 years old.

Crafty Feast takes place on Dec. 9 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Over the course of the decade, the makers’ market has prided itself on providing perusers with the opportunity to get their hands on distinct and sometimes weird gifts.

“When we founded Crafty Feast a decade ago, our goal was to be an outlet for emerging makers to connect with a Columbia audience,” Schadel said in a statement about the indie craft show. “It makes me happy to see an event focused on unique, off-the-grid crafts grow from an outdoor community festival to a Midlands holiday tradition for thousands of people.”

Want a skull or anatomical human heart etched into a pint glass? It can be found by a Crafty Feast vendor. Your kid dream of having dragon wings? One maker at the show has those too. Walk your pooch in luxury with a handmade velvet collar that you can get you know where. Pottery, ceramics, artist-made stationary and locally produced beef jerky, it’s all at Crafty Feast.

The diversity of makers and artisans is one of the prominent changes in the indie craft show over the decades, the founders said.

“What used to be a 35 vendor craft fair for predominantly Midlands vendors has morphed into an event with 100 vendors from all across the region,” Schadel and Broom said in a statement. “We’ve had vendors from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia and Michigan, which is super exciting. It makes us proud to be part of the indie craft show circuit.”

Ever wanted to hang a picture of Godzilla turning Adluh Mill into popcorn in your home? Crafty Feast has that.

This story was originally published November 17, 2018 at 4:10 PM.