GREENSBORO, N.C. — A holiday tradition will be back at the Greensboro Coliseum from Nov. 24 to 26.
What You Need To Know
- The Craftsmen’s Classic Art & Craft Festival turns 50 years old this year
- Carly Gilmore, a third generation of the market, says it’s the longest running show at the Greensboro Coliseum
- Gilmore says through the years, she assumes millions have been brought to the local economy
- Organizers expect around 18,000 people to attend
The Craftsmen’s Classic Art & Craft Festival, which has pottery, jewelry, fine art, glasswork, furniture and more, turns 50 this year.
Carly Gilmore is the director of marketing for Craftsmen’s Classics and the third generation helping run the show. She began working at Craftsmen’s Classic when she was just two weeks old.
“This actually was started by my grandfather, and when he passed unexpectedly in 1980, my dad was 19 years old and he thought, actually he dropped out of college just for the semester, thought he would just finish, finish out those shows and then go back to college. And the rest is history. He never went back,” Gilmore said.
Carly Gilmore looking at a vendor’s item. (Spectrum News 1/Randy Maynard)
Now, Gilmore’s 4-year-old daughter has even got in on the action, participating in her first show at 6 weeks old.
“It is truly a family business, and it means a lot. I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together,” Gilmore said.
According to Gilmore, the festival is projected to draw a crowd of approximately 18,000 or more attendees throughout the weekend. With 220 booths, she highlights the event has expanded by 16% compared to 2022, marking it as their largest gathering since the COVID era.
“We’re thrilled to have this many exhibitors in here. I think the community is really excited to, you know, get into the holiday spirit at a unique event. And it’s really special and important to be celebrating a 50th anniversary of a small business and supporting all of these small businesses, especially on Small Business Saturday this weekend,” Gilmore said.
Small businesses like Dexter Covington’s Sculpture by Dexter have been at the festival for 49 out of 50 years.
“It’s just it’s the highest quality show that you’ll do in Greensboro. They always have the best out here and we just enjoy it,” Covington said.
Covington makes items out of steel he finds at the junkyard, and says he loves seeing what sells and the feeling of someone taking home his creation.
Dexter Covington working on a sculpture. (Spectrum News 1/Randy Maynard)
“People coming back every year, we have some really loyal customers that come back every single year…some of them, I hate to see what their yards look like, and their house. They’ve been buying for almost 30 years,” Covington exclaimed.
The steel sculpture designer says the show is like a family, knowing the owners for years and the other vendors. Although his favorite part is the environment.
“It doesn’t matter where you came from, who your parents are. The only thing that matters is what you put out on your table, all the racks. And that’s the only thing. So you’re equal. Everybody here is equal is what I love about it,” Covington said.
Throughout the festival’s 50-year history, Gilmore estimates it has generated millions for the local economy.
“I love looking for gifts, honestly, for family and friends, for people who they might be used to getting things from a big box store. But this gives something with a story behind it. Someone’s heart and soul has been poured into this and their talent and creativity,” Gilmore said.
The Craftsmen’s Classic also has a Holiday Market held at the Coliseum in November, and has other locations in South Carolina and Virginia.
To pre-purchase tickets, visit the Craftsmen’s Classic website. Tickets are $10 at the door Friday and Saturday. To celebrate the milestone, on the last day of the event, which is Sunday, Nov. 26, tickets will be $5 at the door.
