ART

Localtopia 2020

On February 22nd, 2020, a dream of mine came true. I was a vendor at a local market!!! Not just any local market either, no, this market happens only once a year! Localtopia is St. Pete’s largest Community Celebration of All Things Local. This event is a BIG deal in the Tampa Bay area and brings thousands of attendees and over 200 vendors to this one-day event.

On a whim in November 2019, I applied to be a vendor, thinking there was no way I’d get in…as luck would have it I was awarded a prime spot and boy was I stoked! That is until the panic set in and I realized I had just a few short weeks to get ready for the event. After tons of hard work and sleepless nights, I managed to create over 50 pieces for my booth!

The day of the show was everything I hoped it would be and more. The weather was gorgeous, the wind was light, and my booth came together flawlessly. Thankfully, my awesome husband was there to help every step of the way. He even built my booth from up-cycled fencing and reclaimed wood. At Localtopia, I met tons of great people and made lasting memories. The thing I liked most about that day was hearing all the feedback about my work, in person. Several people were moved by some of the pieces I’d done, others requested duplicates, and some wanted to know if I’d create something custom for them. There is so much value gained from face-to-face interactions with people and I was so thankful to be part of this great event!
- Cheers