About Us
Our Venue and Market
Location.
Located opposite the pretty village duck pond, Tissington Village Hall has been given a fresh, modern update inside. Features include the original Tissington Railway sign and a picture wall with photographs celebrating the village and its residents in the year 2020. You cannot fail to enjoy the outlook into this unspoilt quintessential English village.
Values.
With only 11 stalls our market may appear small, but each stall is filled with one of a kind products carefully hand crafted by a unique artisan maker. The people who visit Tissington have a real appreciation for the beauty and character of the village. I wanted Tissington Craft Fairs to be in keeping with this and become a destination market in it’s own right, synonymous with high quality products.
What to expect.
It’s extremely important to me that everything for sale at our market has been hand crafted, or designed by the stallholder themselves. Whilst events with a similar ethos to ours are now sometimes known as artisan or makers markets, it was a conscious decision for us to retain the traditional name of craft fair. I felt this was much more in keeping with the historical nature of the village.
Atmosphere.
Whilst curating the event I am careful to avoid duplication of similar products. This creates variety for customers and I believe it adds to the welcoming atmosphere where each stallholder is supportive of the other artisan makers in the room. Our visitors love to chat to each stallholder and learn more about the passion behind their business and any personalised options that may be available.
Visitors.
Our stunning Peak District location attracts visitors from across the country. This is also reflected in the stallholders at our events, who not only come from around the local region but also travel from further afield. Some stallholders exhibit for the full weekend, whilst others join us for a single day. This makes each craft fair unique.
Meet the organiser
Where it all began.
Hi I’m Marianne the organiser of Tissington Craft Fairs. A maker myself, my first ever stall was actually at Tissington Village Hall and I fell completely in love with it’s picturesque location. I went on to become a regular stall holder and to help the previous organiser on the day of the events for a number of years. When she retired in June 2019 she asked if I would like to buy the craft fair business.
Becoming the organiser.
The question was completely unexpected so I’d had no time to prepare or plan. I knew that I now had the opportunity to maintain the core value that all products must be handmade, but I wanted to improve the standard and variety on offer and make my own mark on the event. I knew that achieving this would take an enormous amount of hard work but I accepted the challenge and prioritised organising the craft fairs whilst still running my own handmade business.
Challenges.
During the first 6 months I met some amazing new stallholders and was ready to head into my first full year as organiser in 2020. I had a full calendar of bookings for the year but these all had to be refunded when the pandemic hit. Fortunately I stayed in contact with many of the people affected and was delighted to finally meet them and see their stalls in 2022.
My ethos.
I run the event from the perspective of a stall holder and try to learn from my own experiences at events in this venue as well as further afield. I really enjoy curating the stalls and think very carefully about the layout of the room as a whole and how each stall will compliment the next. I feel a real sense of pride watching all of the stalls come together and the venue transform on the day.
Enjoy.
I have enjoyed taking all of the photos that you will see on the website with only a handful in our blog provided by the stallholders themselves. I feel it’s important for them to give you a true sense of the unique location and stallholders. I hope this will inspire you to plan your visit.
Stay up to date!
Our markets are held regularly from April - October
Plan your visit with our events calendar.
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