First American Craft Fest in Minnesota this Weekend

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- Craft lovers will be converging on St. Paul this weekend.

The American Craft Council is hosting its first-ever American Craft Fest on Saturday and Sunday at Union Depot.

Executive Director Andrea Specht says crafting is more popular than ever.

I would say that we live in a time right now where there is perhaps more interest than ever in craft and in the making of things by hand, so this is a very exciting time to be an organization that is focused on the making of things by hand.

The American Craft Council has been around for more than 80 years. They are a national nonprofit headquartered in Minneapolis.

Specht says online videos about crafting are helping to grow interest but there's nothing like seeing it in person.

Because there is no substitute to being able to see this work in person, to pick it up, touch it, feel it, ask questions of the artists about the work, learn about their process, lean how they got into what they are making, what they do.

The American Craft Council has held a marketplace event in St. Paul for decades where artists could sell their products. The new American Craft Fest will be more interactive and educational.