September 2024. 

Artists and crafters will bring their wares to Hillsboro

The Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair is a one-day smorgasbord of booths filled with one-of-a-kind handmade creations that attracts some 300 artists from 15 states and more than 40,000 shoppers. Vendors are selected from hundreds of applicants by a panel of judges dedicated to bringing only the best to the Hillsboro show, this year scheduled on Sept. 21.

Since its creation in 1970, the Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair has been rated among the top 100 arts and crafts shows in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine.

In addition to visiting crafters, the fair also features a local flavor with hometown food and hospitality being served up, including ethnic Dutch-German food such as zwieback, New Year’s cookies, bierocks, veranika and Hillsboro’s famous smoked sausage. Other yearly favorites are kettle corn, roasted almonds, fresh-squeezed lemonade, shaved ice, tater twisters and funnel cakes.

The festival is held every third Saturday in September over a six-block area of downtown Hillsboro, KS. Located just 30 minutes from Newton and McPherson, and 50 minutes north of Wichita.

Additional information can be found at the website hillsboroartsandcraftsfair.org.

September 2024. 

Grab your friends and come to the Friends of Shawnee Town Craft and Fall Festival

More than 130 vendors will converge on Shawnee Town 1929 for its annual Craft and Fall Festival on Sept. 21.

Dozens of vendors will be on hand selling home décor, unique gifts and holiday presents for that hard-to-buy-for family member or friend on your gift list; enjoy live music and food while strolling the grounds, too.

Free kids activities will keep your little ones entertained as well. While you’re attending the fair, enjoy stepping back in time in Shawnee Town, an historic farming town from the 1920s and see for yourself what life was like a century ago.

For more information, call 913-248-2360 or visit www.shawneetown.org

September 2024. 

Summit Country Antique Show returns for fall gathering

With fall approaching, so too is the Summit Country Antiques Show.

The large show, scheduled for Sept. 14, features booths of antiques, vintage items and collectibles, also takes place in the winter and summer months.

The show includes lots of items from the turn of the century. “Over 60 dealers from several Midwest states are carefully selected to provide you a unique shopping experience which takes you back to the late 1800s,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

Admission to the show is $5, with food provided as well. For more information, call 816-872-7999.

September 2024. 

Flock to the farm for a fall craft fair

The Shepherd of the Hills Historic Farm in Branson will welcome craft collectors this month for its annual Shepherd’s Fall Craft Fair.

The fair, scheduled for Sept. 13-15, will feature both local and out-of-state vendors selling a variety of handmade and repurposed goods.

The entry fee for the fair is just $5 for attendees older than 12 (kids 12 and younger are free), which includes a self-tour through the farm and Lil’ Pete’s Kids Playland, Petting Zoo and Mini-Golf. Parking is complimentary and available in the main parking lot. Be sure to satisfy your hunger with food trucks on site, as well as at the farm’s restaurant and ice cream shop.

For more information, visit www.shepherdscraftfair.com.

August 2024. 

Sellers and buyers ready to descend on tiny town for flea market

It’s flea market time in the tiny town of Sparks, which boasts a population of only nine, according to the website for the Sparks Antiques and Collectibles Flea Market.

Its population soared to more than 75,000 for both 2023 shows. This year, the fall show is set for Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The market will include more than 500 vendors selling antiques, vintage finds, collectibles, toys, furniture, home décor, and more. The town is located about 30 miles west of St. Joseph, MO.

For more information, including info on lodging and parking, visit www.sparksantiquesandcollectibles.com.

September 2024. 

Feel the power at Power of the Past

An annual show will expose attendees to the raw power of steam engines and other antique farm equipment.

The Power of the Past Antique Engine and Tractor Show, Sept. 13-15 at Forest Park in Ottawa, features a variety of activities designed to appeal to veteran attendees and newcomers alike. The show will include demonstrations of hay baling, threshing, and shingle milling; tractor pulls, horse-powered equipment, a flea market, food vendors and lots of ice cream will keep attendees entertained and well fed.

Speaking of food, be sure to show up early on Friday, Sept. 13, and enjoy a free meal of ham and beans from 4 p.m. until it’s gone (with paid admission).

Admission is $5 for all three days; kids under 12 are free.

For more information, call 785-241-0834 or 785-229-5530, or visit www.powerofthepast.net.

August 2024. 

Get your antiques appraised at Jesse James

Jesse James Antique Mall and The Rusty Chandelier in St. Joseph will bring their bargains outdoors when they host their Flea Market and Sidewalk Sale on Aug. 24. The event will include free antique appraisals from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. by professional appraiser Tom Tangen.

Wares from more than 280 dealers will be sold both outdoors at the event and inside in both stores.

For more information, call 816-232-0099 or 816-676-0662; you also can visit www.jessejamesantiquemall.com or www.rustychandelier.com.

August 2024. 

Free Fair back in Lamar

Missouri’s largest free fair will offer several days of entertainment when it descends on downtown Lamar, Aug. 16-24.

Highlights of the fair will include the Rotary Fair Queen Pageant, as well as a carnival, youth livestock show, art show, food vendors, parades, and blue-ribbon contests.

The fair will take place in the town’s Constitution Square in downtown Lamar.

For more information, call 417-850-2033 or visit www.bartoncounty.com/fair.

July 2024. 

Browse more than 300 booths at Bella Rustina in Conway this July

Conway will once again host the Bella Rustina Modern Vintage Market, July 12-14 inside the Conway Expo Center.

More than 300 booths will be set up inside the venue, selling both vintage and vintage-inspired items, as well as handmade treasures. Multiple food trucks will also be on site to feed hungry shoppers. Admission is $10 for the early buying day on Friday, July 12, and it’s $5 for Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14.

For more information, visit www.bellarustina.com.

July 2024… 

Red Wing annual show and sale brings collectors together

Take your Red Wing pottery collection to the next level by attending the Red Wing Collectors Society Inc.’s annual show and sale at the organization’s 2024 Crockfest Convention. A wide variety of Red Wing stoneware, pottery and antiques will be available to buy during the convention, at which attendees will be able to enjoy auctions, live music and BBQ. The convention takes place July 11-13, while the show and sale take place on July 13. All events take place at the River Bluff Education Center in Red Wing. This year is the convention’s 47th.

For more information, call 651-388-4004 or visit www.redwingcollectors.org.