A Letter From the Maker: Introducing FairFinder

I wanted to take a moment to share something I have been building behind the scenes. Something small, something steady, something I wish had existed when I first stepped into the crafting world with hope in my hands and yarn in my lap.

Being part of the crafting and artisan community is beautiful. It's creative and energizing and full of people who pour themselves into what they make. It's also frustrating at times. If you are a vendor, you already know how hard it can be to find real, trustworthy events. I spent way too much time bouncing between Facebook groups, sorting through outdated posts, scams, and dead links. I searched the web until it felt like a chore instead of a joy. It took so much time, so much energy, and it took the sparkle out of something I loved.

Somewhere in the middle of my life as a crocheter, a content creator, and a person trying to find a full‑time job, I started wondering what would happen if I built the thing I kept wishing for.

So I created FairFinder.

It began as a simple question: What if...

What if vendors had a place to search for events without fear? What if the information was reliable? What if you could apply, save events, and plan your season without juggling a dozen tabs? What if nothing was hidden behind a paywall?

I built this because I needed it. If it had existed when I started, I would not have been scammed, I would have found better events, I would have made more money, and I would not have spent so many nights feeling discouraged and behind.

FairFinder lets you search for craft fairs, festivals, and vendor events. It gives you verified information. It lets you apply when possible and save events to your calendar. You can use it as a vendor or a visitor. It is completely free for both. The only people who pay anything are event runners, and that is only to verify legitimacy and keep the space safe.

Right now, the app is small but mighty. It covers the places I know well: Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. These are the places I travel to, places where family lives, and places where I have set up my own booth and hoped for a good day. My dream is to grow it state by state as the community grows with me.

Every week, I run an audit to make sure events are legitimate. I am only one person doing a lot of things at once, so I added a report option in case something slips through. My goal is to make this the most trustworthy event‑finding tool in the crafting world.

I am sharing this now because it is already helping me. Because I believe it can help you. Because the crafting community deserves tools that make our lives easier, not harder.

If you're a vendor, a visitor, or someone who loves wandering through handmade markets, I hope you will give FairFinder a try. Explore it. Use it. Tell me what you think. Your feedback will help shape what this becomes.

You can visit it here: craftboothfairfinder.com

I built this for us. I hope it brings you a little more ease, a little more clarity, and a lot more joy in your creative journey.