Final Makers Fair of the Year Ends with Rags to Riches

This October, RenewAll and Village Antiques & Art celebrated the final Maker’s Fair of the year with a fiber art theme, Rags to Cultural Riches. The event happened Oct. 18th, during the Central City Fall Shop Crawl, in the sideyard at Village Antiques & Art. The event featured approximately 10 local art and business vendors, as well as live music from Maggie and the Farmcats. As a special activity, RenewAll also hosted Kate McComas’s Natural Fiber Dye Workshop, which sold out!

The Rags to Cultural Riches Maker’s Fair was RenewAll’s first time having a fiber artist-only outdoor market. Some vendors, such as Ann and Ron Grimes, offered demonstrations. Ron demonstrated locker pulling, sharing valuable information about this vintage fiber art technique used to make rugs and tapestries. Alongside him, Ann showcased her skills in needle felting with dyed wool roving.

Alongside vendors, Kate McComas and 15 participants learned the magic of natural fiber dying. Kate led two groups on how to use natural materials, such as bugs and walnuts, to dye fabric, and it was certainly a unique sight to see! Participants walked away with the fabric they dyed, including silk and wool pieces. Kathryn Hamlin, a participant in the morning workshop, was excited to show her dyed pieces, saying, “Just look how beautiful they are! And I even kept some beetles too.”

The event was not only a unique gathering of all things local talent, but it was also an educational experience. Many participants of the workshop, and those who stopped by and visited the Grimes, were excited to learn something new and walk away with new knowledge.

At RenewAll, these experiences are what it's all about! Denise Poole, Social Enterprise Hub Manager, organizes each Maker’s Fair. She said, “This last Makers Art Fair of the year was more 'hands-on' than we’ve been able to offer in the past. We definitely have plans to include more workshops going forward and are already exploring and coordinating some interesting art topics for 2026, so stay tuned!”