I love the moonlight market! I had the chance to walk through and shop with different merchants…read morethat were lined up on Gay and Broad St. I loved the evening stroll after a great meal at a wonderful restaurant. I always look forward to this event.

I loved the Moonlight Market before, but I reeeaaaalllyyy love it now…read more Gay Street is my favorite street in Columbus (no, not because of *that*). It's in the heart of the ever-growing downtown scene, and it feels a bit more grown-up than the Short North... no shade thrown to the ShoNo. I feel like MM really celebrates all the great local businesses of Gay Street and then also highlights local artisans and musicians. If you went in the past when it was just getting started and had a smattering of booths--go back. This year it stretches down both ends of the street, and they're adding more vendors all the time. It really feels more like a street fair now rather than a craft show... no hate to the crafts. MM in 2015 has such a cool energy; it feels very alive and filled with cheerleaders for the city. While Gallery Hop can still be a good time, it really does have a bar crawl feel to it now. MM is just so fun to grab a bite at one of the delicious restaurants (I'd recommend the underrated Plantain Cafe) and then stroll up and down the street taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells that the city has to offer. Pro tip: Park in the garage at the corner of Elm & 4th. At only $1 per hour, it's a STEAL!

I love a holiday crafts festival and this is one of the great ones. It took us hours to walk…read morethrough and see all of the vendor booths. Parking was $6 and entrance fee was $7 per person. The crowds weren't too bad - definitely steady and busy but not overwhelming. They had everything from hand painted chocolates and local dairy cheese, to art pieces selling for thousands of dollars. Some of the art work on display was unbelievably beautiful. There are many things I would have liked to have taken home (with a much bigger budget.) Most of the artisans were really friendly and helpful with any questions. Many also said they sell on Etsy and will ship online orders. I look forward to making this an annual holiday outing.

This year I visited Winterfair for the first time. I didn't really know what to expect as far as…read morethe quality of craftsmanship or the scale of the event. I knew from a quick bit of research that it was a long-standing tradition and spanned a long weekend of Thursday through Sunday each December. I went on Sunday, the last day of the event. We paid (I think) $5 for parking. Admission was $7 on the first visit, free on each visit after that. I arrived as soon as doors opened at Noon and stayed until we were forced out at 5p. I walked nonstop the entire time and did not see nearly everything there was to see. There were hundreds of artisans. I saw mainly the same styles of crafts: wooden bowls, ceramics, jewelry, some watercolor, etc. The level of craftsmanship was pretty consistent throughout, which was a good and bad thing. The good thing was that there were no real schlubs. The bad thing was that I often felt like I was seeing more of the same. We bought a lot, mainly Christmas gifts. Winterfair merchants must make a killing off people looking for unique gifts. I got a beautiful pair of earrings from artist Charles Pinckney. Charles' booth stood out to me because it was understated. Whereas many merchants faux walls were crammed top to bottom and edge to edge with merchandise, Charles' spot featured one glass display case with maybe 25 pieces of jewelry. I stopped to talk with him. He had a voice like James Earl Jones and a very endearing personality. Charles told me that his inspiration comes from his childhood. Each of his abstract pieces has a story, and he shared several of them with me. I inquired about one specific pair of earrings and became more enthralled with them after hearing their tale. I just had to have them. I put them on immediately and took a picture with Charles to commemorate the occasion. I found another noteworthy crafter near the entrance, a husband and wife who make ceramic bird sculptures. It doesn't sound so interesting, but the sculptures are dead on! The eyes were phenomenally real. And you should see the feathers; they look pillowy and soft. I couldn't control myself and ended up touching three of the birds, only to be disappointed by their actual hard surfaces. They looked so lifelike. While scoping out one merchant's items, I got a whiff of something deliciously sweet. I soon pinned the smell: roasted nuts! I followed my nose to a stand with a variety of handmade chocolates and freshly roasted nuts. I split a bag of pecans, a bag of almonds, and a bag of cashews with my cohort. Absolutely wonderful! The Sunday show wasn't overly crowded, but I did have to deal with a lot of nudging. That's one thing I hate about craft shows. People elbow and crowd around you to see what you're looking at. And to get a good view of anything, you have to do some elbowing yourself. Another thing that makes me a bit uncomfortable about craft shows is that the person who made the piece is sitting right there. So, you have to pull back your reactions. If you hate something, it's best to wait to say so until you're away from the stand. On the other hand, I had some marvelous conversations with vendors who were eager to tell me how they make their crafts and why they make their crafts. They were thrilled that someone was interested in knowing the stories behind their works. When I entered the building, I took my time looking at every stall. But as the minute hand on the clock spun, I found myself merely glancing at the stalls towards the back of the annex. I wish I would've budgeted my time better. I feel like I missed some really good stuff. It wasn't until the doors were getting ready to close that I discovered the food section of Winterfair. Jams, dips, syrups, drinks, mixes, and baked goods are housed in the far front corner. Almost every stall offers free samples of everything they sell. It was a heyday! I had some great raspberry hot chocolate, a fluffy banana cream pie dip, several creamy salsas, amazing maple syrup, and more. The sample areas were very clean, and the merchants enforce the use of tongs and a strict no double-dipping rule. Much appreciated. If you're going, I suggest wearing a light jacket because the building gets hot. Carry a light purse as well because, no matter the actual weight, it will feel like a million pounds by the end of the day and you'll be adding the weight of your purchases to that. Bring plenty of cash as the goods are sometimes expensive (though less so than other venues I've been to), and many of the merchants don't have the capability to process credit cards. If you're buying something heavy, don't fret; most merchants will hold your purchase until you're ready to go. Do eat lunch in the building, and do sample as much of the food in the sales area as you can. And remember that you don't have to see it all in one day; if you plan to come back, get a ticket on the way out and bring it back with you for free re-entry.

It's been a little while since I've been to visit but Clay Street Ceramics is definitely a Hilltop…read moregem! I love that this shop is literally a minute away and Terry does so many cute designs. I will have to make it in this winter to do a Christmas craft! The space is small but she has everything you would need to paint something incredible. Overall, if you love ceramics like I do this is a must stop!

The owners, Teri and Pete, are super helpful! Teri offered small tips to help make our pieces…read moregorgeous! Well, as gorgeous as they could be with my (lack) of talent! I

Marcia Evans Gallery is wonderful gallery in the Short North Columbus neighborhood…read more A friend and I have visited Marcia's gallery for a number of years, as we've stayed at the B&B nearby and we always stop by when we're in Columbus for an afternoon, as she's always so friendly and welcoming, but also allows you to take time to view and take in the art in the gallery. She has rotating group of artists in the gallery and one of our favorites is Annette Poitau, her colorful abstract art with vibrant colors and just the right amount of varnish are remarkable pieces. This past Saturday finally one of Annette's pieces called my name and proud to purchase and bring a piece home. The art in the gallery is affordable and variety of sizes, from pieces you could put on an office desk, to main focal point in a home or business. Marcia's gallery is a must while you're in Short North!

Wonderful little gallery with a warm atmosphere and a new show every month. Follow Marcia on social…read moremedia to get word about her opening nights where she has been known to provide tasty goodies, wine and live music.

Heard about this in the local paper, and it was just down the street from my errands. Looks to be…read morethe same owners as Reliable on High dispensary, but revamped into a gift shop. They've completely redone the interior. Cool little trinkets, some vintage stuff, some snacks, etc. DIY slime bar for- kids? Adults? I picked up a t-shirt for Sweetie, cat grass for the cats, a sticker for Kid K, and a juice for myself. Super staff. Decent prices. I think an event space in the back still. Nice addition to this stretch of High.

My son and I were on a little shopping adventure today and stopped in here to look around and it's…read morethe cutest! They sell snacks and gifts and his personal favorite, squishies! We scored a slow rising cake squishy he saw on Dr Squish that actually smells like cake. He gave it a 10 out of 10 on the squishometer which is high praise for this kid! Under ten bucks too. The young person working was really sweet to my son too. Definitely recommend!

I am absolutely shocked that the SN Gallery Hop hasn't been reviewed in 3+ years! While this year…read morethey obviously had to pivot and go virtual, this art hop is just one of the many things that makes this neighborhood so special. I'm currently really missing the hustle and bustle on High St. that occurs on this first Saturday of the month celebration. Between musicians busking on the street to the art galleries opening their doors and the creative works that come out of the artists in our beautiful city, it's pure magic. A lot of the bars and restaurants will also have specials and fun promotions going on. It's my favorite to simply walk up and down the sidewalk, admiring the fun. I used to have a studio and participate in an art walk in my hometown of Zanesville and I really miss being on the artist side of things. That being said, I'm glad Columbus celebrates art all year around. I can't wait until the in-real-life hops start up again. I can only imagine the artwork that came out of the year that was 2020.

Another month, another Gallery Hop! I'm beginning to think that I had fallen victim to a bad case…read moreof 'local syndrome' in regard to the Gallery Hop. You know, that feeling of been there, done that, over it, ugh. But this time, a group of us made our way from a Kentucky Derby party down to the Gallery hop with a friend who had never been before. It was refreshing to see the Hop through the eyes of a newbie! And it definitely sparked my enthusiasm in the event again! We got down there fairly late (and so full of food and alcohol from the party) so we didn't stay long - just long enough to walk from the Cap to the White Castle, cross over, and walk back, all whilst stopping at a few shops and galleries. Its definitely much more fun in the warmer weather and I'm so glad that Columbus has decided to come out hibernation! Even though we didn't have a whole night of things planned, it was a fun outing. I prefer to make an evening of it. Getting dinner (pick a restaurant, any restaurant, they are all fun), doing a little shopping (window shopping most of the time!), after dinner coffee at Impero (http://www.yelp.com/biz/impero-coffee-roasters-columbus), *drool* any and all flavors at Jeni's *drool* (http://www.yelp.com/biz/jenis-ice-creams-columbus-2), and then a bit of alcoholic libation. I've never had any trouble finding parking since I realized I could park over at Goodale Park and walk. You gotta burn off that ice cream you know...

Let me start by saying, I don't know whose fault this is but someone. SOMEONE needs to hear this…read more Let us begin with finding the event. Yelp told me that the Columbus Axe Throwing place, where the event was being held, was next to The Continent. What is The Continent you ask? Well it's an appropriately named apartment complex, or quite possibly a small village, the size of a medium continent. We drove around this multi-neon-colored buildings for a solid 38 minutes looking for this place. Weaving around multiple (multiple!) nightclubs, the french quarter (WTAF), and what appeared to be an abandoned theater ... I was determined to browse overpriced homemade soaps, tiny pop tart pins, sarcastic baby onesies and handmade cards. DETERMINED. Yelp failed to mention that the only way to find this place was to drive through a tunnel into the depths of The Continent where you quite possibly only have a 97% chance of returning alive. But alas we found it ...and the postcard sized sign on the door. Once inside we wandered around looking for the craft fair, passing abandoned furniture, squeezing between the nets behind the batting cages, carefully passing under falling ceiling tiles until we finally reached the Craftin Outlaws sign. It was practically glowing, we made it ! It was all worth it! Spoiler Alert: Nope. There were literally 6 tiny booths of crafts. There were no other customers. Likely because no one else was willing to risk their lives or spend 45 minutes in pursuit of crafts of the outlaw variety. I browsed the crafts for 90 seconds. I haven't been this disappointed since the 2016 World Series and the 2016 election, in that order. Everything about this event was wrong with the exception of the blue slushy I got in the way out the door. Although I'm still drinking it and wouldn't be surprised if the lid fell off, spilling electric blue sludge all over my lap. The LITERAL (blue) cherry on top of the worst 46 minutes of my life.

Leading up to the craft fair their twitter account highlights vendors ahead of time. Most of them…read morehave web sites so you can peruse what's available and make a shopping list ahead of time. This was my first time at the event and I was impressed. It wasn't so crowded that you got lost or forgot where you saw something you liked. Nice variety of items were for sale. Items included recycled/upcycled glass goods, recycled/upcycled hair clips, bead/metal/leather jewelry, clothing (cowls, t-shirts, scarfs), drawings/prints, soaps/lotions and animal/hero masks. Afterwards, Craftin' Outlaws sent out a survey via Twitter to get feedback and follow-up on the event.

We haven't made it up to the full shop yet, but we loved the selection at the Cruise into Reading…read moreevent! The logo shirts are also super cute.

Amazing staff and products! The candles are a personal favorite but can't go wrong with anything in…read morethe store. Perfect spot to pick up a gift!