Spring Market FAQs

The Spring Market is Saturday, April 12, 2025 from 9 AM - 4 PM at Construction Junction (214 N Lexington St, Pittsburgh, PA 15208). Makers will be required to load-in and set up their booths on Friday, April 11 between 4-7 PM (load-in time subject to change due to venue needs).

• Maker's business is less than five years old

• Maker has not sold at at any of the following markets prior to 2024: 

  • I Made It! Market events

  • Neighborhood Flea 

  • Squirrel Hill Night Market

  • Three Rivers Arts Festival 

  • Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media events 

  • Other markets not listed that feature at least 50 vendors

  • Note: If you have applied and have been accepted into any of the markets listed above for 2025, we consider you an "emerging" maker. You are eligible to apply for the Spring Market. 

• Maker does not have a brick-and-mortar store

• Makers products are not yet available at brick-and-mortar retail location

We define a “handmade business” as follows:

• You, the artist(s), created the original products.

• You did not use mass-produced, trademarked, or licensed items in your work.

• You did not use copyrighted designs that you don’t own in your work.

• Your products are at least 80% of your original creation.

• Your products are not made with purchased, downloaded, or copied images or designs.

The application fee for the 2025 Spring Market is $15. This fee is nonrefundable.

The application fee cover the administrative and associated costs it takes to pay jurors to evaluate applications.

Applications will be open until Sunday, February 9, 2025 at 11:59 PM (EST). Late applications will be not be accepted. No exceptions.

We receive many more applications than we can accept for every market. To keep the products sold at Handmade Arcade within the quality standards our shoppers expect, all of our markets are juried. The jury carefully evaluates each application against a rubric created for each application. They also evaluate whether or not the applicant fits our definition of a handmade business and if they sell products at a variety of price points, as our shoppers expect. We recommend reviewing the full application and reading through the rubric very carefully before you apply so you know exactly how our jurors are evaluating you.

While it’s not required for makers to have an online presence to participate in our markets, it’s helpful for shoppers to view e-commerce or social media accounts for more images and information. If you provide links to your website and/or social media accounts, they should be active and show a representative selection of your merchandise.

• Accessories

• Adult Clothing

• Artwork*

• Bath & Body

• Ceramics

• Children’s Products

• Glass

• Housewares

• Jewelry

• Paper Goods

• Toys

• Wood

• Other (surprise us!)

*Handmade Arcade was founded as an accessible alternative to fine arts markets. Historically, independent makers, crafters, and artists NOT considered fine artists do the best at our events. However, if you make fine art and can reproduce your work into various mediums at an accessible price point, such as prints, on fabric or clothing, as stickers, etc., that’s typically a great fit for our markets.

Shared tables are allowed at our Holiday Market, but not our Spring Market.

No. At this time, we do not accept food vendors, including chocolates, honey, and candy. If you have specific questions regarding your products, please ask before you apply by emailing makers@handmadearcade.org. We do have a few food trucks each year at our Spring Market at Construction Junction, so feel free to email info@handmadearcade.org if you’re interested in bringing your food truck to that event.

Yes. We want to see how your applications change and how your techniques have grown! We encourage makers to reapply.

Yes. Please complete our application fee waiver form to get a fee waiver code. We don’t want our application fee to be a barrier for makers to be considered by our jury!

Yes. Some applicants will be put on a waitlist. Waitlisted applicants will be notified if a maker space becomes available in the category in which they applied.

Yes. On the application, makers can opt-in makers may opt-in to receive their scores from the jurying process to better understand how they could improve their application in the future.

Handmade Arcade has a jury who reviews all applications. Jurors can be participants of Handmade Arcade’s Advisory Committee, other market curators, artists from the community, etc. Handmade Arcade staff members and board members are NOT members of the jury.