Journeyman Distillery's American Factory in Valparaiso invited the community to their second Winter Artisan Market on March 1 and 2. The event brings together whiskey enthusiasts to browse the factory and celebrate various forms of artwork.
While this is the second year of bringing this event to Journeyman's American Factory, the Winter Artisan Market has been a Journeyman tradition for more than a decade. Kole Rushmore, content producer for Journeyman Distillery, finds joy in seeing people come from outside cities to see what the vendors have to offer.
“People travel from far and wide for these shows,” Rushmore said. “I know there are a couple of people that come out from South Bend to check out this show. We have a couple that live in Valparaiso but travel all across the country for trade shows. There are so many unique creations such as homemade dog treats, jewelry, pots, and woodworking. It’s incredible to see what these makers have and listen to everyone’s story.”
This year’s event included more than 170 vendors that were dispersed between five different rooms. The first year of the Winter Artisan Market at the Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks featured a dozen vendors.
“A lot of our vendors that we started this event with still come out for the show,” Rushmore said. “There’s been a lot of support on social media, so it’s great to see how this event has grown over the years.”
Kevin Birky, owner at KB Vintage Designs, was one of the vendors for this year’s event. Their booth focused on recycling a lot of old products and giving them new life.
“We’re trying to find stuff to repurpose into something new,” Birky said. “We want to bring a different style or vibe into our products by using a lot of live edge wood, barn wood, and rustic farmhouse decor.”
This event is filled with a lot of gratification for the vendors every year. Having the opportunity to meet new faces and share their products helps create an exciting show.
“It’s an awesome venue, and we get a lot of foot traffic here,” Birky said. “We have some other sales for ourselves, but we love coming here to expose our stuff to a large number of the people who stop by here. Our stuff is a little bit different, and the level of uniqueness is what makes this a special event.”
For another year, Journeyman Distillery's American Factory was filled left to right with customers who came to admire the creations of these vendors. There was a lot to keep the attendees entertained, especially the newcomers to Journeyman.
“This event is a great way for us to introduce Journeyman to new customers and people in Northwest Indiana,” Birky said. “People love to shop locally, especially the people who live in Valparaiso. This is the first time a lot of these people have come to one of our events or stepped foot inside Journeyman's American Factory. We’re able to showcase our award-winning spirits and let them see what the experience here is all about.
The Winter Artisan Market will continue at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 2. Vendors will be set up showing off their creations until 5 p.m.
For more information on the Winter Artisan Market at Journeyman Distillery's American Factory, you can visit its website.
