Journeyman Distillery at The American Factory in Valparaiso hosted its first Winter Artisan Market on February 17 and 18, uniting whiskey connoisseurs and art aficionados for a weekend of casual drinking and browsing. With an exciting showcase of art displays and maker products, shoppers got a fresh, vibrant experience supporting local businesses.
Journeyman Distillery opened its space to a myriad of local and regional artists and vendors. The market provided three artisan rooms between two floors, each featuring a series of booths displaying art pieces for consumer purchase. These works include but are not limited to ceramics, jewelry, sculptures, prints, textiles, wood carvings, water paintings, and home goods. The venue helped support over 130 businesses throughout Northwest Indiana.
Journeyman Distillery has a rich history of putting on artisan markets at The Featherbone Factory location in Three Oaks, Michigan since 2012. Retail and Public Programs Manager David Regan attributes Valparaiso’s first market to their previous success in building support for the local arts.
“We ourselves are artisans at heart, as we craft our own whiskey and we are rooted as a mom-and-pop shop,” said Regan. “Our focus now is to celebrate the artisans and the makers. We have such great regional and local talent who are working to create the best possible products and getting them exposed. We want to be a tool to provide these great things into the community’s hands.”
"Our first market was only 10 vendors, thats how much space we had in Three Oaks," said Founder Bill Welter. "We only had the little still room. It started from there, one step at a time. As David said we very much wanted to do something to support local artists. The feedback we get every market is that this is the best market that our vendors participate in. We routinely get stories of people saying they sell more in one market with us than the whole year combined."
As both artisan markets continue to gain traction in their respective communities, Regan has great optimism about future events supporting artists.
“We will continue with our Spring Artisan Market in Three Oaks. Then, we will also be having Fall Artisan Markets on both properties in November. They will be about two weeks apart. It will be a great time to celebrate the entry into the holiday season,” said Regan.
Regan estimated this weekend’s attendance to be in the thousands, as it brought in families and individuals of all ages. Guests took a break from the cold weather and winter storms to walk around and learn about the creative passions of others. As purveyors of hospitality, Journeyman provided on-site food and cocktails throughout the weekend to help create a warm ambiance for artists and curious community members. Union Hall Restaurant, located within the distillery, also opened its doors as an invitation for guests to enjoy dinner following their stroll.
Vicky Chubbs, an attendee who first heard about the event through Facebook, spoke of her love of the pleasant and homestyle atmosphere encompassing the artisan market.
“There are so many beautiful, nice items. A lot of them are custom-made. Some of the vendors had some beautiful planters. There are also a lot of good treats and sweets,” said Chubbs.
In Chubb’s quest to make it around to each artisan room, she was even able to obtain sweet delicacies in the form of caramel, chocolate-covered pretzels, and a brownie. Chubb’s sister, Juanita Nethery, spoke of the cruciality of supporting the local arts.
“Just like any other business, you want to support your community and the people in it. The artwork here is also very beautiful,” said Nethery.
Outside of the artisan markets, Journeyman Distillery is passionately working toward other upcoming events to build rapport within the community, such as their weekend Weddings and Whiskey events.
To learn more about the Winter and Spring Artisan Markets or other upcoming events at Journeyman Distillery, visit journeyman.com/american/.
