The 4th one, by the river

Riverside
Makers Fair

June 5

Sat2027

10am to 6pm
Riverside Commons
Asheville, NC

Become a maker See the day's schedule

Two market tents full of handmade goods outside an old brick building — Last June, stall 14

Colourful handmade decorations hanging at a market stall

Freeentry

What's on

Sixty stalls, six trucks, two stages and a lot of glue sticks. All of it free to wander through.

A market table crowded with small handmade ceramic pots and bowls

stalls, all handmade

Makers market

Pottery, wool, wood, prints, soap, jewelry and pickles, sold by the people who made them. Every stall is local to the Blue Ridge.

Food trucks

Six trucks along the river lane: wood-fired pizza, Venezuelan arepas, smoked barbecue, vegan bowls, shaved ice and cold brew.

Kids' workshops

Clay critters, block-printed tote bags and paper-hat making in the big striped tent. Drop in, every session is free and every kid leaves with something.

Live music

String bands, a fiddle duo and an open bluegrass jam on the Riverbank stage. Bring a blanket and stay a while.

Repair cafe

Volunteer fixers mend lamps, bikes, jackets, toasters and wobbly chairs while you watch and learn. One item per person, no charge.

The day,
hour by hour

The makers market, food trucks and repair cafe run all day. Here is everything else, so you can plan lunch around the fiddles.

Bright children's paintings laid out on a table to dry — Drying rack, kids' tent

10am

Gates open, market opens

Coffee from the cold brew truck and first pick of the pottery.
Makers
10:30am

Clay critters with Rosa

Ages 4 and up. Squish, poke and paint a tiny animal to take home.
Kids' tent
12pm

The Swannanoa Sisters

Old-time string band, three sisters and a washboard. Lunch is served.
Riverbank stage
1:30pm

Block-print a tote bag

Carve a stamp, pick a color, print your own bag. Ages 7 and up.
Kids' tent
2pm

Spoon carving demo

Eli from Laurel Spoon Works turns a green cherry log into a spoon in 40 minutes.
The woodpile
3:30pm

Open bluegrass jam

Bring a banjo, a fiddle or just your feet. Everyone plays, nobody is judged.
Riverbank stage
4:30pm

Paper-hat parade

Make a hat in the kids' tent, then march it once round the field behind the fiddles.
Whole field
5:30pm

Maker hamper raffle

One basket, one thing from every stall. Tickets are $2 at the info tent and all of it goes to the river cleanup crew.
Info tent
6pm

Last song, lights down

Stalls pack up. See you next June.

Meet some makers

A few of the sixty people you'll find behind the tables this year.

Rows of colorful glazed cups and saucers

Ceramics

Clay & Creek Pottery

Dana Whitfield throws mugs in West Asheville and glazes them in the colors of whatever is blooming that month.

Fiber

Blue Ridge Wool Co.

Hattie Moore spins yarn from her own nine sheep in Madison County. Ask her their names; she will tell you all of them.

A hand-carved wooden spoon in warm light

Woodwork

Laurel Spoon Works

Eli Brooks carves spoons, spatulas and butter knives from storm-fallen cherry and walnut. Catch his demo at 2pm.

Soap

Mountain Suds

Priya and Sam make cold-process soap with goat milk from down the road. The lavender sells out by noon, every year.

Map of the day

Not to scale, drawn with love. The field is flat and the paths are paved all the way round.

1
Entrance & info tent. Maps, raffle tickets, lost kids, wheelchair loans.
2
Makers market. Three rows, A to C, sixty stalls.
3
Food truck lane. Picnic benches in the shade.
4
Kids' tent. Workshops and the hat parade start here.
5
Riverbank stage. Bring a blanket for the lawn.
6
Repair cafe. In the blue-roofed barn.
7
Restrooms & first aid. Step-free, with a changing table.
8
Quiet tent. Shade, water and calm, all day.
9
Bike racks. Free valet bike parking.

Getting there

Riverside Commons
64 Riverside Drive
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 555-0147

Leave the car at home: the free shuttle runs every 20 minutes from downtown.

By bus

Routes 12 and 31 stop at Riverside & Craven, a two minute walk. Free shuttle loops from the downtown station every 20 minutes, 9:30am to 6:30pm.

By bike

The greenway runs right past the gate. Our volunteers run free valet bike parking next to the entrance.

By car

Parking at the Depot Street lot is $5 for the day, cash or card. Blue badge spaces are right by the entrance, and drop-off is at the gate.

Accessibility

Flat, paved paths to every tent and the stage
Step-free restrooms and a quiet tent
ASL interpreter for the noon and 3:30pm sets
Wheelchairs and stools to borrow at the info tent
Service dogs always welcome

Kept free by

Hilltop Grocery Co-op
Swannanoa Savings
Bramble & Birch Hardware
Ridgeline Radio 88.9
Kettle Rock Coffee
Laurel Print Shop
Riverside Neighbors Association

Good questions

Is it really free?

Yes. Entry, kids' workshops, music and the repair cafe are all free. You only pay for what you buy from makers and food trucks.

What if it rains?

We go ahead rain or shine; every stall has a tent. If there is a thunderstorm warning we pause the stage and post updates at the info tent and on the phone line.

Can I bring my dog?

Friendly dogs on short leashes are welcome outdoors. There are water bowls at the info tent. Please keep them out of the kids' tent and the food lane.

Do makers take cards?

Almost all of them do, but bring a little cash for the raffle and the smaller stalls. There is an ATM next to the info tent.

How do I volunteer?

We need about forty helpers for three hour shifts, and you get a t-shirt and lunch. Email hello@riversidemakers.example with the shift you'd like.

Apply for
a stall

Make it yourself and live within 100 miles of Asheville? We would love to have you. Applications close on 1 May 2027 and we reply to everyone within two weeks.

Stall fees for the day

Shared 6 ft table: $25
10 x 10 ft pitch: $45
10 x 20 ft pitch: $80
Power hook-up: +$15

Fees are paid only once you are accepted. Students and first-time makers get 50% off.

Your name

Business name

What do you make?

Stall size

Need power?

Your pitch, in a few lines

RiversideMakers Fair

What's on

Makers market

Food trucks

Kids' workshops

Live music

Repair cafe

The day,hour by hour

Gates open, market opens

Clay critters with Rosa

The Swannanoa Sisters

Block-print a tote bag

Spoon carving demo

Open bluegrass jam

Paper-hat parade

Maker hamper raffle

Last song, lights down

Riverside Makers Fair · Community fair