Recently, I was able to attend the NEACA Spring 2024 Craft Show at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville Alabama.
The NEACA (Northeast Alabama Craftsman Association) Craft Show is a Huntsville based event that is held three times a year. There is a spring show, a fall show, and a Christmas show.
About the NEACA Craft Show
NEACA is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1973 in the Huntsville area. Their mission was to encourage craftsmen to continue to create and to improve in their craft.
The NEACA donates the proceeds that they make at their shows (mostly from the vendors booth rental fees) to good causes, like local charities and scholarships. The NEACA craft shows are well known, and people from the surrounding areas look forward to attending and vending at the three yearly shows. This year, there were 149 booths at the spring show!
My Experience at NEACA
The NEACA craft show is something that I have attended a couple of times in the past, and it has continued to live up to my expectations. The craft show takes place in a large, open area that is filled with a number of different vendor’s booths and set-ups. Each of the setups is unique to the vendor’s personality and products.
What Can I Buy There?
There is a little bit of everything at the craft show. If you can think to look for it, it’s likely there! We saw everything from clothing (for all ages, sizes, and genders), to pet and baby products, to metal products, to toys, to jewelry and accessories, to food. And that’s barely scratching the surface. There was something there with the potential to truly interest everyone.
How Long Should I Expect to Spend There?
The amount of time you could spend at the craft show truly varies. Depending on how you plan to shop, you could probably breeze through all of the booths in about an hour, or you could spend several hours there looking at products and talking to craftsmen. Or you could find some middle ground of the two.
What are the “Standouts?”
As usual, with any type of craft fair or market, there are some vendors who customers visit to see every time. There is a vendor who does metalworking that sticks out in my mind as having been there several times, as well as a vendor who sells hair bows, several food vendors, and vendors that bring their embroidery machines with them to offer custom embroidery at the show.
There are also several booths that just have products that “stand out” among the crowd.
One that comes to mind is a booth that sells embroidered rolls of toilet paper. There is also a booth that sells sparkle covered headbands with flowers and unicorn horns to adorn. There is another that I can think of that sells some of the most beautiful hand painted flower pots.
NEACA Craft Show Spring 2024
How Much Does it cost to get into the craft show?
Getting into the show itself is completely free, however, if you want to park at the Von Braun Center, most of its parking lots have a ten dollar fine.
Is it a kid-friendly event?
There are lots of products at the show that would definitely interest children. There is a booth that 3D prints small animals and other characters that kids would like, as well as handmade wooden toys, and cute crocheted plushies. However, it is fair to say that children need to be watched over carefully, as a number of vendors sell very delicate products.
Is it handicap accessible?
Yes! The Von Braun Center is handicap accessible! The NEACA craft show is on a level floor, and there didn’t seem to be any major bumps that could cause issues for someone with mobility issues.
How much should I expect to spend?
This is another one of those questions that’s tricky to answer. You can spend as much or as little as you want to at the NEACA craft show. There are some booths that offer products that are very budget friendly, while some booths have items that are definitely more pricey. There is a very good chance that you will find something in your budget.
Visiting the NEACA Craft Show
Overall, this is definitely an event that I can see myself attending in the future. I love attending craft shows, though, so my opinion is a bit biased. I think that a craft show of this scale truly has something that could interest everyone, and for the price (free! Maybe 10 dollars for parking) it’s definitely a good activity.
Additionally all of the craftsmen that I have spoken to at the NEACA craft shows are lovely people, who are truly passionate about their craft, which makes them infinitely interesting to talk with. The NEACA craft show is a great way to spend an afternoon.
