Fifth Annual Cooperstown Artisan Festival

Inspired by the Leatherstocking Brush and Palette Club’s ‘Cooperstown Arts & Crafts Show’, a Labor Day weekend tradition in the Village for approximately 50 years, the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce answered calls to revive the craft fair in 2017.

“In its new incarnation, the ‘Cooperstown Artisan Festival’ celebrates the flourishing creative spirit of our region today, and provides a venue for over fifty select regional artists and craftspeople offering a vast range of unique handmade goods to the public,” said Tara Burke, Executive Director of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce.

Live music, food trucks, artist demonstrations, and activities for children round out the event making it a fun outing for the whole family.

“It’s a two-day festival and will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4,” Ms. Burke said.

The venue is perfect for an artisan festival. “It’s outdoors on the lawn of the Otsego County Campus on upper Main Street in Cooperstown in front of the courthouse,” she said. “It’s open to the public, entry is free to all, and the event will go on rain or shine.”

Because of COVID, the Cooperstown Artisan Festival was cancelled in 2020.

“We’ve been consistently impressed with the quality of craftmanship displayed by the vendors, as well as the enormous variety of media. You will find artisans working with wood, clay, metal, fibers, paper, resin, wax, glass, and ‘found’ objects, as well as painting, drawing, and photography,” Ms. Burke said.

The Artisan Festival is the ideal place to find unique gifts, including skincare products, clothing and
accessories, jewelry, housewares, home décor, and specialty foods.

“The event is amazing because it brings together local makers with an audience that appreciates the opportunity to purchase items crafted with care. And it makes Labor Day weekend a perfect time to visit Cooperstown when there’s so much to explore throughout the Village, including the Cooperstown Art Association’s ‘Fine Arts on the Lawn’ event which takes place the same weekend on the other end of Main Street,” she said.

After five years, the Cooperstown Chamber feels certain that the Artisan Festival tradition will continue to thrive well into the future.

Live music throughout the weekend will feature ‘The Council Rock Band’ playing an energetic mix of rock favorites on Saturday, September 3rd, from 2 to 5pm, and ‘The Mopar Cams’ authentic rockabilly swing style on Sunday, September 4th, from 1 to 4pm.

Food will be available on-site from ‘Brake From the Grind’ and ‘Tacocat’ food trucks, and ‘All the Perks’ will offer a variety of coffee and other beverages.

The Fenimore and Farmers’ Museums will oversee children’s activities at the festival, and the Utica ZooMobile program is scheduled to bring a selection of live animals along with their knowledgeable staff on Saturday morning from 10am to noon.

For more information about the Cooperstown Artisan Festival and its participants, please visit the website www.cooperstownartisanfestival.info , or contact the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce by phone (607) 547-9983, or email office@cooperstownchamber.org .