Weekly pop-up and mobile app bring commerce opportunities and regional advocacy to local arts businesses.
Cleveland, OH – Maker Town® founder Susie Frazier, and local brewery Saucy Brew Works, have announced an exciting reason to visit Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood this summer. The Maker Town® Market, a free outdoor marketplace featuring handmade jewelry, home décor, gifts and goods, will be held outside at Vibe Garden, a private property located at W. 28th Street and Church Avenue every Sunday 11 AM – 4 PM from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The launch date will be May 30th, 2021.
The Maker Town Market is an in-person opportunity for consumers to connect with and support local makers, a small business sector that was hit especially hard by the pandemic and is still trying to recover. Featuring a rotating lineup of artisan companies from all parts of our region, the Maker Town Market is not only a place to make an immediate purchase, but it’s also a place to find those who can be commissioned to make custom products or those who offer specialized workshops the public can experience.
This weekly amenity for residents and visitors operates in tandem with the Maker Town App, a new mobile platform that functions like a Yelp directory, but specific to the fast-growing maker economy. The app visually showcases over 600 Northeast Ohio maker retailers, artist studios, and fabricator businesses, dozens of upcoming maker events, a changing playlist of videos, an interactive map, and links to browse or buy directly at the makers’ own storefronts or websites.
The Maker Town model of combining smartphone technology with more frequent in-person events allows consumers greater access to what they already love to do — discover nearby artists, find pop-ups they can attend, and purchase handmade goods from local businesses.”
– Susie Frazier, Maker Town founder
“Our markets and mobile app provide a fun and safe vehicle for residents to explore the culture of greater Cleveland, while also helping the maker community get back on its feet again,” says Frazier, Maker Town’s founder and local maker of art and accents for the past 24 years. “The Maker Town model of combining smartphone technology with more frequent in-person events allows consumers greater access to what they already love to do — discover nearby artists, find pop-ups they can attend, and purchase handmade goods from local businesses.”
Teaming up with the Maker Town organization, Saucy Brew Works CEO and president Brent Zimmerman sees value in bringing together the brewery community with the maker community. “We’re all makers of something, whether it’s handcrafted beer or handmade products,” says Zimmerman. “Our two industries mesh well, so we decided to give our collective fans a new way to dive into both activities every Sunday.”
The Maker Town Market is free and open to the public and will feature up to 20 maker booth spaces within Vibe Garden, a charming outdoor space with picnic tables, a sand pit volleyball court, and strung lights, located in the heart of Hingetown at 2807 Church Avenue. Each booth space is 10’ x 10’ and will offer a changing lineup of unique items for sale throughout the summer, including hand crafted pottery, screen printed shirts, one-of-a-kind jewelry, accent furniture, greeting cards, blown glass, art prints and more.
Maker Town Market manager, Northcoast Promotions, is now accepting vendor applications from artisan businesses.
ABOUT MAKER TOWN
The Maker Town™ organization is a technology-based enterprise that builds momentum for local maker communities. It ensures artists, product designers and maker retailers are more visible to consumers in their nearby area through its proprietary mobile app, pop-up markets, media relations, and business workshop. Maker Town was founded in Cleveland, Ohio by arts entrepreneur, Susie Frazier, who saw the public need for an easier way to access favorite local businesses in the arts. Maker Town plans to expand into other cities beginning with greater Columbus later this summer. Learn more at makertownusa.com
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