Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Ledcat and I are both loyal fans of I Made It! Market. We’ve been to lots of markets, occasionally set up tables and especially love I Made It! for the Holidays each year. The vendors are so much fun and always have interesting gift items.  The rotating venues make it special as well.

I also really like that they organize this particular market to overlap Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Most of the vendors are regional and skew toward progressive values both in their products (organic materials, etc) or their professional style. Many are women and many are queer or queer friendly.

We always find gifts for Ledcat’s mom (soaps, scents, etc), her sister-in-law (unique jewelry) and brother (just random kooky stuff that totally suits his personality) We often find gifts for the kids. And each other. We definitely find stuff for each other.  I asked Ledcat and she remembered buying the books about Abandoned Pittsburgh, discovering Leona’s ice cream sandwiches, and a cool Batcat tee shirt. She’s listing so many items that I can’t keep up with her to type them all.

(I know you are going to ask me about Handmade Arcade – no worries, you can do BOTH and I promise you will find unique vendors. There’s enough overlap to be awesome if you want to reconnect with some, but not so much that it feels at all redundant.  We go to both!)

Sooo mark your calendar for Friday and Saturday. This year’s marketplace pops up downtown, at 623 Smithfield Street. To make it more festive, this is the location of the former Gimbel’s Department Store.

• 100 local artists
• all handmade items for the holidays
• something for everyone on your list
• free parking in pgh parking authority lots
• food trucks both days:
• Friday: Mac & Gold, Onion Maiden, Franktuary
• Saturday: Pittsburgh Sandwich Society, South Side BBQ Company
• Zeke’s will be there with coffee
• Raffle benefitting assemble (a STEAM learning place in Garfield)
• Kids activities

I Made It! Market, Pittsburgh’s nomadic indie craft marketplace announces our tenth annual I Made It! for the Holidays shopping event popping up at The Heniz 57 Center downtown on November 25th (Black Friday) and November 26th (Small Business Saturday) from 11 am – 6 pm.

This year features 100 artists from across the Pittsburgh region all selling handmade work with a modern edge. The market offers shoppers a fun alternative to the typical big box Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shopping options. Bring the family, we will have kids activities with the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Artists & Craftsman Supply, demos from TechShop and coffee with Zeke’s plus sweet treats and food trucks to keep you fueled during some serious shopping. And, just in time for the holidays, parking in Pittsburgh Parking Authority lots and street parking downtown is FREE!

All of our artists are featured on our website at www.imadeitmarket.com, as well as on our Facebook and Instagram accounts.

A pop up marketplace like I Made It! is an ideal way for shoppers to find the wide variety of gifts they need, while also supporting local makers. Our artists are passionate about creating special items, and enjoy meeting the shoppers who love their products. Many of our makers will also be accepting custom orders which can be filled in time for the holiday gift giving. Invest in the livelihood of a working artist by purchasing a one-of-a-kind gift for that friend or family member who seems to have everything.

For 10 years, I Made It! Market purchases have benefitted our local economy. Shopping at the market supports regional artisans who are able to continue making a living through their craft. Many of our artists source their materials locally and utilize repurposed or recycled materials in the creation of their clothing, jewelry, accessories, and more.

For more information or for a list of participating artists, please visit www.imadeitmarket.com.

I have no affiliation or tie with I Made It! Market except thinking they are awesome. I wrote this blog post because I genuinely believe that you deserve to enjoy this level of awesome. All I hope for in return is a tote bag. Ahem. LOL