A Free Craft Market Comes to the Mercer Museum Lawn in Doylestown |
More than 50 makers bring handmade gifts, vintage finds and art to the Mercer Museum green on Saturday |
Saturday morning in Doylestown has a new reason to linger.
The Craftery Market sets up on the green outside the Mercer Museum on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is free.
More than 50 vendors will fill the lawn with handmade goods, vintage finds and original art.
There will be food to eat while you browse and live music in the background.
It is the kind of market where you go in for one thing and leave with three.
If holiday shopping is already creeping onto your list, this is a good place to get a head start.
Buying from a maker means your gift has a story behind it, and the money stays with someone who made it by hand.
The setting does a lot of the work, too.
Henry Mercer's concrete castle of a museum rises right behind the booths, and it never looks better than with a crowd on the lawn.
A few tips for making a morning of it:
Start early at the Doylestown Farmers Market on South Hamilton Street, between West Oakland Avenue and West State Street, which runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Grab coffee and something warm, then walk over to Pine Street when the Craftery opens at 10.
If you want a quiet hour indoors, the Michener Art Museum across the street offers a 30-minute Spotlight Tour called Moments in History at 11 a.m., included with admission.
Parking downtown fills quickly on a Saturday, so plan to walk a few blocks, or come early and stay for lunch in town.
Bring a tote bag, and cash is always handy at a market, even when vendors take cards.
Dress for the weather, because the market is outdoors on the open green.
The organizers have not posted a rain plan, so check the Mercer Museum's events page before you head out if the sky looks uncertain.
Markets like this are part of what makes a fall Saturday in Doylestown feel like a small town and a destination at the same time.
Bring a friend, take your time, and see what you find. |
41 Comments
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Glad to see the Mercer getting more foot traffic. That museum deserves more attention than it gets.
Bob HennesseyTotally agree. I took some out of town friends there last summer and they were blown away. Most people have no idea what is inside that building.
Grabbed coffee from the place on State Street last year and walked over. Perfect way to start a Saturday.
Anyone know if dogs are welcome on the green? We always bring ours to outdoor events.
That is a great question we did not cover, we would suggest checking the Mercer Museum's events page directly, since outdoor green policies can vary by event.
Wish the market ran a little later than 3. Hard to get there before noon with little kids in tow.
That is a fair point, and worth keeping in mind for future editions. For now, arriving closer to noon still gives you a solid two hours to work through 50-plus vendors.
Worth the drive from New Hope. Doylestown does these fall events really well.
New Hope to Doylestown is a lovely fall drive, and between the Farmers Market, the Craftery, and the Michener, there is plenty to fill the morning before heading back.
dan_from_new_hopeNew Hope to Doylestown is such a nice fall drive too. You could make a whole day of both towns honestly.
The tote bag reminder is real. I always forget and end up juggling everything in my arms.
A tote bag is honestly the most important thing you can bring, and yet it is always the one thing left by the door, consider this your official reminder.
Not a big market person myself but my wife drags me every time and I always end up enjoying it.
Hoping some of the vendors are local artists. Always fun to meet the person who made the thing you bought.
Parking on Court Street usually has spots if you get there before 9. That has worked for me.
Phil OstrowskiGood tip. I usually end up circling the main streets for 20 minutes before I think to try Court Street. Saving this for Saturday.
The live music makes such a difference at outdoor markets. Sets the whole mood.
Agreed, there is something about live music drifting across a lawn that turns a shopping trip into an actual morning out.
Barb T.Completely agree. Even just something acoustic in the background changes the whole vibe. Makes you slow down and actually look at things.
Holiday shopping in October feels early but honestly starting now saves so much stress later.
Lived in Doylestown 20 years and still love when the Mercer lawn gets used like this.
Glad admission is free. Nice to not feel pressured to rush through everything.
Nancy PringleSame. Free admission means you can actually take your time instead of feeling like you have to justify being there. Makes the whole thing more relaxed.
Go in for one thing leave with three. Accurate. Very accurate.
October weather in Doylestown can go either way so glad they mentioned checking for rain before heading out.
Henry Mercer's museum really is something else. Concrete castle is the right description.
It really earns that description, Henry Mercer built it out of concrete on purpose, and it looms behind the booths in the best possible way.
Bringing my mom for this. She loves vintage finds and the Mercer is her favorite building in Bucks County.
That Michener tour sounds interesting. Never knew they did a 30 minute spotlight thing on Saturdays.
Greg F.They have been doing it for a while but it does not get much publicity. Really worth it if you are already in the area, the collection they pull from is great.
As a maker myself I appreciate when people buy handmade. The money really does stay local.
lori_craftsMy wife picked up a cutting board from a local woodworker at a market like this a few years ago. Still use it every day. You just cannot get that from a big box store.
Cash tip is real. Some of these smaller vendors prefer it even if they have a card reader.
Exactly right, even when a card reader is out, small vendors appreciate skipping the processing fee, so a little cash in your pocket goes a long way.
Love that they mentioned the farmers market first. Makes for a perfect full morning.
Went last year and spent way more than I planned. The handmade stuff is really good.
That is exactly the danger we warned about, you go in for one thing and leave with three, and we stand by it as a feature rather than a flaw.
50 vendors is a lot! Hope the lawn is big enough for everyone to spread out.
sue_bI went to one they did a couple years back and it flowed pretty well. Vendors tend to spread along the path too, not just the main lawn.
Good tip about parking. That block fills up fast, not joking.
Always love this market by the Mercer. The backdrop alone is worth the trip.