Red Geranium Market is one-of-a-kind

The ninth annual Red Geranium Artisan Market will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. This event is held both indoors and outside the historical First Presbyterian Church (FPC) of Noblesville, 1207 Conner St.

The market continues to grow, as this year you will find 60 artisan vendors selling one-of-a-kind, handmade, and unique items. The artisan booths will be located both inside FPC and outside on the parking lot surface.

Shoppers will also enjoy live music throughout the day and be able to enjoy some delicious food from the Smokey Blue BBQ food truck, an icy cool house-made gelato at Stacco House by Mammamia, or visit the ladies’ bake sale inside the church for some yummy homemade treats.

Music schedule

• 9 to 10 a.m. – Molly Jones, harp
• 10 to 11 a.m. – Julia Keller-Welter, Viola
• 11 a.m. to noon – Rhythm and Cues Cloggers
• Noon to 1 p.m. – Robin and Jennifer Ruffato, vocal contemporary Christian and classics
• 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Emily Ann & Kelly Thompson, Celtic and American old-time, folk, bluegrass, and country

The Market keeps growing!

The 2024 market has grown again this year and will have 60 vendor booths compared to 52 last year. An expanded and reconfigured arrangement added the 10 additional artisan booths inside and outside the church.

Red Geranium received over 100 applications for this year’s market. A jury committee selected the 60 finalists based on uniqueness, quality, and originality focusing on limiting crafts to just a few of each kind to provide variety for our shoppers. In the first year, the market only had just 24 artisan vendor booths.

The Red Geranium Artisan Market is different than most arts and craft fairs. The market’s purpose is based on mission giving rather than making money, as are most commercial organizers of art fairs.

FPC plays host to several non-profit organizations each year, free of charge, so they can sell wares to promote their artisans or clients who might not otherwise have an avenue to support themselves. Here are some examples:

• One returning organization is ArtMix, an Indianapolis non-profit. They will be selling handmade ceramic art made in their Urban Artisan Program. ArtMix is devoted to developing vocational skills in teens and young adults with disabilities and transforming lives through the creation of art.
• Another vendor booth, Padelka, will be back with us again selling hand-made Ukrainian artworks created by artisan Marina Shepeluk. The sale of her work helps Marina to support her young family living in Zhytomyr, Ukraine.
• There are also several artisans, MoJoJudo, Jim Miles Woodworking, Gardening Gals, and the Presbyterian Women’s Bake Sale, who donate all their sales proceeds to charity.

The Red Geranium Artisan Market is both family- and dog-friendly with free admission and free parking. Organizers suggest parking at the City Hall parking lot, one block west of the market, at 10th and Maple streets and walking up the street while enjoying the shaded “Old Town” homes of Noblesville. Street parking near the church is available but limited. Handicap parking spaces are available on the alley running between Adrienes Flower Shop and the church. Find an attendant to help you get parked and access the market.

What makes Red Geranium unique

Red Geranium only selects two to three artisans from each category to keep the focus on providing shoppers with a variety of unique finds. Over half of the vendors are return artisans year after year because they love coming to the Red Geranium.

There will also be some exciting new artisans ready to share their creations. Categories include antiques, primitives, up-cycled and repurposed creations, garden art, mosaics, pottery, wood, glass art, metal, fibers, photography, jewelry, furniture, boutique clothing for adults and children, pet products, homemade candies and treats, vegetable or flower farmers, food vendors, musicians, and fine artists of all kinds.

The purpose of the Red Geranium Artisan Market is to provide a fun community event that helps First Presbyterian Church raise funds for local and world missions. Vendors are charged a booth rental that goes directly into the church mission fund. When you attend the market, you are helping people right here in Hamilton County and as far away as Appalachia, Hungary, and Ukraine.

The mission team hopes everyone will enjoy the market and encourages guests to take a free tour of the historic church built in 1893. They also invite anyone to attend a Sunday Service at 10 a.m. or check out the live stream worship service at fpc-noblesville.org/live.

For more information, visit RedGeraniumMarket.wordpress.com or Facebook.com/RedGeraniumMarket.

Please direct questions to secretary@fpc-noblesville.org or call (317) 773-2383.