by Sam Ottinger

Throughout the presence of life on earth, art has, and always will be, an important part of being human. 

And this weekend’s Goshen Kentucky Hermitage Farm’s Meet Your Maker Art’s Festival, on Oct. 26 and 27, is an opportunity to see the human trait of creativity in action.

“It’s inspiring to see so much talent come together in one space, and that’s what drives us every year, ” commented Ryan Mahony, the Program Director at Hermitage Farm.

This will be the fifth year that Meet Your Maker has been hosted at Hermitage Farm. And this year’s event has been the largest market throughout those five years, having a little over 100 different vendors with their own unique crafts.

“It’s inspiring to see so much talent come together in one space, and that’s what drives us every year.”

Hermitage Farm Program Director Ryan Mahony

These vendors aren’t just whoever signed up, from wherever, and paid the booth’s toll. These  vendors were chosen with close and deep consideration.

Mahony stated, “We carefully curate our vendors based on the uniqueness and quality of their work. Each vendor is a local maker, and we strive to include a wide variety of artisans — from pottery and handwoven textiles to jewelry and woodworking.” 

Not only are there crafts to browse and buy, but there are also food trucks, like Barn8, that can help satisfy attendees’ hunger as they satisfy their hunger for art.

These food trucks also went through a process before being confirmed as a part of this event. 

Hermitage Farm didn’t only want to include different types of crafts, but they also wanted to include a multitude of diverse, local, high-quality, food “that enhances the festival’s atmosphere.”

These careful considerations help to not only aim to rid this event of those who are just reselling items that they bought elsewhere, but it also ensures that those found vendoring truly have a passion for what they are selling.

This festival was created as a solution in the problem of searching for ways to give local artisans and crafters a place to be able to share their special craft with the community.

Meet Your Maker not only helps artists get their names out there, but it also helps consumers to have an easier place to find pieces that they enjoy enough to purchase.

“We want the community to know that Meet Your Maker is not just a market—it’s an opportunity to connect with artists, learn about their process, and support small businesses,” said Mahony.

He continued, “Each piece you purchase has a story behind it, and by attending, you’re helping keep the local arts scene alive and thriving.”