It’s the first bonus post of the new year and I had hoped I would have more to talk about. Thanks to Mother Nature, the two events I was supposed to attend before today were postposed. So that’s it, there’s no topic. See you next week!
Just kidding.
Instead, I thought I’d answer a question that lots of artists and authors have asked me over the past few months: How do you find markets and events to apply to?
The short answer: Luck and recommendations from others.
The long answer: Although it’s not always fun, sometimes the endless scrolling on social media can yield promising results. I like to keep an eye out on my social feeds for events, craft markets, and conventions. When I discover them, I give the page a follow – even if they’re not accepting applications right away, keeping an eye out for updates will give me a better idea of when and how to apply.
And then, there’s word of mouth. Many of the events and markets I’ve applied to made their way onto my radar after someone else made the recommendation. So, I’m passing it on. Here is my list of recommendations. This is a list of all of the events I’ve applied to (that still exist), whether I got accepted or not. I hope this will help some fellow artists and authors out there.
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- 613Flea: If you live in Ottawa, this is the big one. Many have tried, and many have failed. From what I’ve heard, it is very hard to get into this one, but once you’re in you’re in.
- Mystic Market: Another big one. Again, it’s hard to get into, but the popularity of this witchy event means it’s totally worth trying.
- Vintage Pop Up 613: From the same crew that brought you the Mystic Market. I’ve attended one of these events and boy was it cold out. Yes, this is an outdoor event in Westboro. The focus is more on vintage and thrifted finds, but they do still welcome artists and makers.
- Square Lemon Market: I am a huge fan of this art market. The staff and volunteers are all lovely people. Not to mention the indoor space (the Glebe Community Centre to be exact) is both beautiful and accessible. This is a great market for crafty people.
- Nepean Day Market: The newest one on my list! I have yet to attend it (because Mother Nature had other plans), so I’ll have an official opinion on this as of Saturday. But from what I’ve heard, there is decent foot traffic as this market takes place in the Merivale Mall. Not to mention, the application process was way easier than I anticipated, and they give you a discount on table fees if you book 4 markets at once.
- Nepean Night Market: Basically the same thing as the Nepean Day Market, but at night. They keep their applications for Night and Day separate (understandably), so you can’t apply for both all in one go. After I attend my first Day Market, if I think it’s a good fit for me I’m going to apply to the Night Market. I believe they also have a discount for booking 4 markets at once.
- Carleton Place Comicon: I learned about this one in the summer and then eagerly watched their Facebook page for the vendor application to go live. Although I would eventually love to attend larger conventions, I cannot afford those kinds of table fees right now. The fee for this one-day event is not only within my price point, but on par with the other art markets I’ve attended. I’ve heard really great things about this one and can’t wait to attend it in February!
- The Comic Book Shoppe: I am biased, but I adore this store. My Dad’s office used to be above the Clyde location, and my Mom lives not too far from the Bank location. Not to mention my husband and I have friends who work there. This was the first store to stock my books, so obviously I’m going to recommend them. In December, they co-hosted a night market with Ottawa Billingue, so I submitted an application and got in (thanks to my rough French language skills and Quebec born husband/assistant, of course). If they host any other events in the future, you know I’ll be applying.
I know there are other art markets, events, conventions, etc. that take place in Ottawa (and beyond) but these are just the ones I have applied to and/or have attended. Like I mentioned earlier, I keep a close eye on social media to see if any applications open for other events that friends have mentioned. I’ll continue to share my findings on social media (and maybe future blog posts) as I submit more applications and attend more events.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a master list of everything you can apply to in Ottawa, but hopefully this is a good first start for anyone looking to get into working these kinds of events. And if there’s an event you’d like to recommend, let me know! Let’s all help each other to fill our calendars and sell our art!
