Crafts on Columbus, the arts and crafts show on Columbus Avenue from 77th street to 81st, is set to close for good next month after losing its permit from the city. The community board voted in 2012 to shut it down this year after complaints from local residents about the crowds that flocked to the avenue on the six weekends a year when the crafts show sets up. The area, they said, had become too commercialized.
Peter Salwen, a local historian and artist, has put up a petition to urge the city to renew the show’s contract, saying that it has enhanced the neighborhood in the 34 years it’s been around. He has put up a petition here and it had about 583 signatures as of Thursday morning.
“Recently, a handful of opponents, apparently well-organized and well-connected, have successfully lobbied to withdraw the city permit for Crafts on Columbus. They have falsely portrayed it before the local community board as a noisy, disruptive and “over-commercialized” intrusion into “their” neighborhood.
None of that is true. The reality is, since Crafts on Columbus was bravely launched in the economic hard times of 1980, it has been all about bringing together creative, individual artisans and the thousands of visitors and customers who look forward to seeing them there each year.”
Council member Helen Rosenthal said at a Wednesday night town hall meeting that she would also try to save the festival. She said it’s the only fair in the neighborhood that’s “not just funnel cakes and tube socks.”
Crafts on Columbus kicked us off in 1985, to our lasting family business in American Indian authentic, handmade arts as Kiva Trading Company. For four years we did the shows, finally opening a bricks and mortar gallery on LI in 1989 which was open until 2007 when we moved the business online. We’re finally approaching full retirement and will never forget the West Side, (where I lived in 1973-4) or our loyal West Sider customers, which gave us our earliest success. Thank you all, and please do what you can to keep this great tradition alive in NYC.
Thank you for publicizing this. The Crafts Fair is an institution and not at all commercialized. How can it be when it’s individual crafts people displaying and selling their wares? Please sign the petition and urge others to do so. We need to keep this charming event.
I just signed the petition. I hope it stays!
I find it fascinating that the city spent the last year and a half scoffing at the daily garbage, noise, etc. complaints concerning Aguila’s homeless shelter in the west 90s. But the nuisance created by a six-times-a-year craft show a mile south is deemed unbearable.
Wouldn’t have anything to do with the relative wealth of the neighborhoods, would it?
Come on, it’s NYC. There are all kinds of street fairs here. This one is only six times a year, and it’s pretty genteel.
Exhibit A of why the UWS is a cultural dead zone where few adults come up to from downtown and nearly all attractive single adults who live here head downtown for actual dining out and socializing. This is why only banks feel safe here. These are Manhattanites who hate crowds and hate capitalism, claiming crafts are “too commercial” but that vegetable stands are just fine, both being commercial. Thing is, crafts are much more interesting to non-locals. This is literally the 1% destroying the livelihood of the 99%, not just in wealth but in neurotic busy body fanaticism.
We have dozens of “Tube Sock and Funnel Cake” festivals clogging the UWS every season … and yet we can’t make room for the one thing that has at least some degree of uniqueness?
I’m all for street fairs (including craft fairs), but this particular fair displaces the farmers market during the peak season in respect of much of the produce that I love. Fully recognizing other’s appreciation of the institution (and agreeing with the sentiment regarding the bankification of the UWS), I’m gonna have to admit that I’m ok with this particular departure.
N. Mullen,
The farmers market moves one block away to the Green Flea Market. (School Yard at 77th Street).
The Green Market is “displaced” one block away for 3 weeks at a time in the Spring and Fall, is it that much trouble to walk one block?
Kipton – you are correct. However, only a handful of vendors operate out of the temporary location (and I’m not sure if any actually sell fresh produce). To be clear, my initial comment was meant to only reflect my personal preference for farmers markets over craft fairs. I certainly did not lobby for the removal of the craft fair and it’s disappointing that commentators hereto have such hostility for preferences not matching their own. The fact that a person prefers one market over another does not make such person an elitist, a moneyed newbie or a Zenithian (I had to look that one up). It is ironic that the people bemoaning the loss of economic and social diversity on the UWS are the same persons contemptuous of opinions different than their own.
What you’re saying is that, even though it’s only six times a year, you object to walking one block further, and having slightly less choice in fruit and vegetable vendors. And you can’t be bothered going a few blocks beyond that on those few annual occasions to get a larger selection of vendors at one of Manhattan’s many other farmer’s markets. You’d rather see a 30 year tradition that a lot of people like disappear rather than be ever so slightly inconvenienced on six occasions.
If they were eliminating your farmer’s market entirely, year round, and replacing it with crafts, I could see your objection more easily. As it is…
Personally, because I also FAR prefer the farmers market than the crafts fair, I actually AM bothered that I have almost no farmers market produce in the spring (right when we’re finally moving out of the tired winter produce). Last weekend there was one produce stand (fewer than in the middle of February!) selling apples and potatoes. So, yes, to answer your condescending question, I do object to that (even though I had nothing to do with the petition)
G Gomez – it’s disingenuous to paraphrase inaccurately what I’ve already said shortly and succinctly.
Is it too difficult to walk a few extra blocks to purchase produce? People come into the city specifically to go to the show. Brings revenue to the neighborhood . Eliminating the show financially hurts hundreds of artists (many of whom are from New York).
Name and shame time. So who *are* this small band of well-connected brutes and wicked witches that think a public area is their own damn back yard?
You’ve gotta be a really cranky person to get freaked out by a crafts festival. Seriously, consider maybe not living in Manhattan if crowds upset you so much.
Crafts on Columbus is unique,bringing the ajudicated work of individual artists to the neighborhood. It is not noisy, no music, and not overly crowded. I purchase something every year.
The Amsterdam and Broadway street fairs are commercial, disrupt traffic, are extremely noisy with screaming amplified music, and the same dull vendors that are at street fairs through out the city. I avoid them like the plague.
thank you for being the first to get this on the web. this event has helped support my family for years. its a great cultural event and supports small family businesses.
it seems like a pretty lazy argument made by N Mullen and others that these artists should be punished because the commenter doesn’t want to walk an extra block for the farmer’s market.
Julian – because you’ve characterized my post as a “lazy argument” I would be grateful if you would identify where exactly I’m arguing for anything. Additionally, please explain where I advocate for the punishment of any of the vendors and finally, I would be appreciative if you would identify this mythical farmers market that is only “an extra block” away from its usual location off of the NHM? Perhaps you would not have accused me of laziness if you had not been so lazy in reading my post.
Assume the Crafts market was the permanent fixture behind the AMNH, and a few times a year a Farmers market moved in and the Crafts market was bumped to the schoolyard on 77th. If people protested to this displacement, I posit that NM’s pro-Farmers market argument would be “cant you Craft aficionados just walk a few blocks south!?” LOL.
It’s not at all about the extra block, it’s about the limited space that results in severely limited produce vendors. Last weekend there was one produce stand. Because of the crafts fair. Because I am not interested in the crafts fair, it makes me unhappy.
Oh, yeah, crafts are SO hard to find. Gosh, wherever could I get a macrame rooster for my kitchen?! My sympathy for people who are out of the opportunity to buy crafts is very low. Somehow, I think they’ll survive (and I’ll survive not being able to get farmers market produce in May and October). Let’s not pretend either is a tragedy.
And there’s no where else on those six days you can get fresh fruit and vegetables? I walk half a mile to my nearest farmer’s market, and if I can’t get to it that day, I wait and walk a mile and a half to the one on Columbus. And if I can’t get to either, I go to Whole Foods or Fairway. No shortage at all of convenient places to get fresh, organic vegetables in NYC.
If I want a unique craft…
My sympathy for you walking an extra block — or hey, having to go to the grocery store! — six times a year is minimal. And judging by the other comments, I’m not alone.
Yeah, in May and October, prime times for farmers markets (especially May, I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to some spring produce and was sorely disappointed with the limited space. Why not displace the flea market, rather than the farmers market? People don’t need more stuff, they need more fresh fruits and vegetables!
Six. Times. A. Year.
Well, that is terrible. what a great spring time institution.
It must be the Landlord’s fault! or Bloomberg! or the investment bankers!
oh wait, can’t use those chestnuts anymore.
lets get them a permit NYC. come on.
Keep Crafts on Columbus. If you want to complaint about commercial complain about all of the chain stores that have killed off small business. Crafts is a fun event.
Many of us artists and craft persons depend on this show to make a living. The show is lucrative because many people in the neighborhood support it, which is evident by the number of sales we make to people who live on the Upper West Side. Also, many of the visitors to the fair are international and domestic tourists. The people drawn to this fair also frequent the stores and restaurants on Columbus Ave. We are good for the Upper West Side, and we are good for New York.
These complainers are most likely the moneyed newbies that made NYC bland, soulless, and characterless.
Six weekends a year. Those weekends will be impeding on their shopping sprees in their oversized luxury bags.
The problem with the Crafts on Columbus is that it attract all types of people — white, black, Latino, Asian, rich, middle-class, working,-class, bohemians, poor. That’s a threat to the homogeneity and conformity of these Zenithians.
Thank you Jor! see my #11. (c) investment bankers, I believe your kvetch falls under that category. Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Seriously, the finger should be pointed at the community boards which seem to have unjust power for arbitrary and capricious decisions. Just ask an restaurantuer or bar seeking a liquor license , while having no power to stop true disaster like 300 bed shelters.
While most of us are living our lives, there are those who hijack the CBs and act as if they speak for the community, when in reality is a tiny number of professional NIMBYS, never was and angry people – see NYCLASS and the horse drawn carriages for another example.
It is not the landlords, the new arrivals, the rich, the bankers, the young white arrivals from Oho or any of the other easy targets.
It’s the people of color with no mnoney’s fault for not being able to just go into s luxe shopping mall and be quiet.
It’s never the investment bankers faults= or Ohio transplant’s fault (you mentioned it), or white riches fault. No. They’re great. They are godsend, as Bloomberg would say. And Bloomberg is never to be blamed. He made the city safer, cleaner, great for the rich white riches, tourists, foreigners, embezzlers, money launderers. No, can’t have arts and crafts in their neighborhood. Ruin their aesthetics. Enjoy your froyo, and cupcakes, and your Marc Jacobs.
IF the CB does not want the fair where it is, why not give them the slots for one of the closed street “tube sock and funnel cake” fair ?
BTW, those fairs are far more disruptive and omnipresent.
For 23 years I have been sharing my New York artwork on children’s clothing along with my New York children’s books with many people at Crafts on Columbus. I take great pride in meeting each one of my customers. It makes my day when they come back to Crafts on Columbus and tell me that my book is their child’s favorite book! Crafts on Columbus is one of the last truly non electronic events where you can actually meet the artist and talk to a live human being in person. There is nothing like in on the Upper Westside, it is one of New York’s pearls!!Those people that don’t want it, simple don’t go to it. As for the farmer’s market being “displaced”, if you read the signs put up, then you would know the Farmer’s Market is one block away at 77th street (Green Flea School Yard)
What is in your heads!? People come from all over NY, NJ and CT to enjoy this fair. It it a celebration of artistic ability and talent……..I have come from upstate for many years and have never seen and disruptiveness or disturbance.
You should absolutely rethink your priorities before you take away another reason to love NYC!
Isn’t an event drawing crowds of people to the Upper West Side a GOOD thing? After they shop, I’m sure many stay to visit local stores, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. We should be encouraging more events like this, not taking away the ones that already exist.
I agree. I look forward to it each time in the Spring and in the Fall. They have lovely things and it is so much fun to walk, see your neighbors and meet new people. What a shame for 6 week-ends a year to not have this institution remain. Think again!!!!
I signed the petition & agree this is only 5 blocks on one side of the street & I look forward to it in the spring & fall for the unique & desirable items displayed! I’m certain it brings alot of people to the area not to mention plenty of revenue!
It really needs to continue!!
I like funnel cake
What on God’s green Earth is funnel cake?
Hehehe … you have obviously not spent a great deal of time at NYC street fairs. It’s a Pennsylvania Dutch treat … look it up. (Lots of God’s green earth still exists in Lancaster County.)
Crafts Fair is wonderful — Please keep it in the neighborhood!
How come the City permits these disgusting street fairs that sell crappy merchandise — athletic socks, discounted linens and food stalls — that totally tie up traffic for an entire day, but want to shut down what is truly a crafts fair. I have been there many times. The booths are filled by real artisans. And the only thing that is blocked at all is the sidewalk on one side of the avenue. If you get rid of this then also get rid of all those street fairs!!!!
We need to preserve unique events like Crafts on Columbus and support the creative vendors who depend on income to feed their families!
Have been attending this Crafts Fair for many years …. the BEST! Several vendors have become friends,; home visits and dinners included! Truly community building.
Noise? What noise? No more than school children visiting the museums.
Denying crafts folks and our community this three week bi-annual event does not reflect our Westside spirit.
Let’s keep the Crafts Fair humming for many years to come! Doing otherwise is just plain wrong.
I can see and understand both sides. The most reasonable solution would be to reduce the number of vendors in half, which would ease the crowds, and have the vendors alternate weekends. Perhaps increasing the number of weekends by an additional four (4) weekends.
what is the issue against the Fair?
I don’t think its noisy or dirty at all. Its a classy event.
Meanwhile the dirty booksellers are allowed to block all of broadway on 72nd and 74th 24/7 and even sleep there.
The Crafts Fair is one of the things that is so great about New York City. Keep it going!
Tube socks? Who sells Tube socks at a street fair?
Fine, Columbus Ave, send the Crafts Fair up to the West ’90’s. I’ve got some homeless shelters, banks, and empty storefronts I’d happily trade for it. Please throw in a few restaurants while you’re at it!
in the interest of opaque government, shouldnt we be allowed to know who the is behind the movement to not renew the permit?
Please keep Crafts on Columbus alive. While the greenmarket is a worthy endeavor as well, they can certainly share the space or give it up for those 3 fall and 3 spring weekends. They would still have most every weekend to do their market. Let the crafts people sell their beautiful goods as they have been for years. Many people look forward to this event and many people earn a significant part of their income selling at their booths.
Designers and artist can no longer afford retail space and now are being pushed out of the city because of a few people that are unconvinced 6 weekends a year. Please go there is coming weekend, support local artists and see for yourself what a wonderful event this is.
Great write-up by JVNY on why Crafts of Columbus is being kicked-out https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2014/05/crafts-on-columbus.html.
I’m guessing and would wager substantial money that a bunch of cranks on 81st Street between CPW and Columbus are the masterminds behind this nonsense. They also try to shut down the dog run from time to time, so the complaints about the “noise” that the Fair creates sounds just like those precious peeps. If anything should be shut down, it’s those obnoxious and solely commercial street fairs selling dubious goods and state-fair fare. Why are these artists being picked on? Even when I don’t buy stuff (and I have, multiple times), I enjoy seeing what’s being created.
Crafts on Columbus has become so much a part of New York’s change of seasons, something to look forward to.
please don’t do away with this wonderful festivity. Don’t take away this opportunity for true artists to be able to bring their craft to all New Yorkers,
Many thanks to the West Side Rag for letting people know about a community board that is making decisions that are not good for the quality of life in our neighborhood.
Thank you for posting this. I signed the petition!
Never a fan of the Crafts Fair … most merchants sold cheap Asain produced crap and over priced and under “crafted” merchandise when it wasn’t imported junk.
Farmers Market was awesome …
It is extremely suspect that most of the pressure opposing the closure of this “craft fair” came from outside the neighborhood.
Tail again wagging dog …
People that don’t like it can walk on the other side of the street. I like the craft fair even though I never buy anything I still like to look.