It’s been five years since the Boerne Handmade Market first launched. With the next one slated for November 4 at the Cana Ballroom, we chatted with organizers to learn about the event, its origins, and the market’s phenomenal growth.
“The original idea was ‘Let’s just do this and see what happens,’” said Alyssa Mantooth, market coordinator. “Rachel [Russo, another cofounder] and I had lived here before, and we’d both returned to Boerne. We had friends who were creative, and we were creative. And we basically wanted to create a place for everyone to come together to show their work, get to know one another, and maybe buy and sell some things.”
That first event took place in the fall of 2012. Based upon the community’s warm reception, organizers decided to repeat it again in the spring. Soon a semi-annual tradition was born, with markets held every November and May. Early on, growth was rapid. “Each market, for the first six or eight times we held it, doubled in the size of vendors and then the shoppers? Those numbers increased exponentially,” said Mantooth, adding that the estimated number of shoppers at the May 2017 event was 3,000.
The market became so popular, in fact, that organizers decided to move to a juried format.
“We didn’t jury items in the beginning, but we got to the point where interest simply exceeded availability,” said Mantooth.
The jury ensures the market’s quality while also providing shoppers with a broad mix of options reflecting various tastes. Currently Mantooth and her partner, Beth Legge of San Antonio, select a jury of five to seven women of different ages, backgrounds, and styles to comb through vendor submissions in roughly a dozen categories. “I love seeing the wood items, they are always so beautiful, and I personally enjoy shopping the jewelry,” said Legge.
“We try to keep each category to 8% or so of each time of item,” said Mantooth. “Beth and I really try to stay out of the selection process and let jurors make their choices.”
“We like to say that [ours] is a handmade market, not a craft show,” added Legge. “We receive so many registrations, especially on categories such as jewelry or home decor (signs), and our jurors go through a grueling selection process to bring fresh items to each market. This makes it fun to attend the market for return shoppers as well as new shoppers. There is always something unique and fresh to select from. Being a juried show also allows us to create a beautiful and appealing market, items aren’t just tossed out on tables.”
In addition to running the market, Mantooth and Legge hold down other responsibilities including family and work.
“Beth works as a full-time case manager for a foster care agency. I work part-time in sales, and I’m a pastor’s wife,” said Mantooth. “This is our way of giving back to the community. We love, on the day of the market, to watch people come together, to greet one another. We love seeing people connect and reconnect all day long. We try to take a little time off, a few weeks after the market to recover. Then we begin again. We open up vendor applications, go through the jury process, and alert vendors so that they’ll have three months to prepare for their booths.”
Later this year, the market will spin off a new project: Hill Country Handmade Market. Through a partnership with Comfort’s The 8th Street Market, holiday shoppers have a second chance to shop locally in a warm, friendly environment.
“It’s been a long-term dream of ours to expand outside of Boerne,” said Mantooth. “And we’re thrilled that Comfort is our first ‘new’ town.”
Even with the growth and expansion of the original market, Mantooth said she still wants shoppers to keep one central idea top of mind, whether they visit Boerne or Comfort (or both) this year. “I’d like everyone to know that there are amazing artisans here in Texas and that we want to continue to provide a warm, inviting opportunity for shoppers to experience a sense of community while shopping for quality handmade goods.”
Story by Pamela Price
Explore More:
• The next Boerne Handmade Market is slated for November 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Cana Ballroom at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church (202 W. Kronkosky St, Boerne | Google Map It! ).
• The first-ever Hill Country Handmade Market will take place on December 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The 8th Street Market (523 8th St., Comfort | Google Map It!) Note that for the Comfort show there is a special VIP shopping event to on December 1 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
