Event is back at John Witherspoon Middle School this weekend
By: Kristin Boyd
Just over a year ago, Mary Lou Spang of West Windsor took a gamble and traded in a corporate desk for her kitchen table, where she now hand-crafts custom-designed beaded necklaces and earrings.
She never regretted the decision to start her business, Spangles, out of her home, but she said it definitely paid off this fall when she was selected to participate in the 33rd annual YWCA Princeton Crafters’ Marketplace.
"We went (to the marketplace) last November to see what it was all about, but I didn’t have much in the way of my business then," Mrs. Spang says. "But I really liked it, and I said, ‘I must do this.’ So being selected this year is a big deal for me."
Ms. Spang is among the 140 artists from as far away as Georgia who will display and sell their wares this weekend at the marketplace. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the John Witherspoon Middle School, located on Walnut Lane in Princeton.
"It’s a fun day," says Patricia Orr, spokeswoman for the YWCA. "It’s a nice way to do some pre-holiday shopping and support a good cause."
The cost is $10 for a two-day pass, $6 for a one-day pass and $5 for seniors and shoppers under age 16. All money benefits the Pearl Bates Scholarship program, which enables economically disadvantaged community members to participate in YWCA programs including summer camps and adult class at reduced rates based on financial need.
The marketplace started with a few booths in the YWCA’s all-purpose room more than three decades ago. At the time, the event was called "Craftwoman’s Marketplace," but as more men began taking part, the name was changed to "Crafters’ Marketplace," Ms. Orr says.
Eventually, the marketplace’s reputation spread far beyond Princeton, and the event outgrew the YWCA as customers from all across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Delaware poured in.
Organizers moved the marketplace to the John Witherspoon Middle School, where it stayed until the school underwent construction a few years ago. The event was then held at Princeton Day School for the next three years until that building also underwent construction.
After spending last year at ETS, the event is back home at John Witherspoon, a favorite location among the crafters and the customers, Ms. Orr says.
Crafters are selected through a juried competition after submitting an application and photos or slides of their work. This year’s winners include artisans who specialize in pottery, clothing, dolls, fiber, photography, arts, glass, mixed media and wood. One artist from Georgia even makes miniature replicas of football and baseball stadiums, Ms. Orr says.
In conjunction with the marketplace, the YWCA is also hosting a patron’s preview party from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Miele Inc. designer showroom on Route 1 in South Brunswick.
The event will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and desserts prepared by chef Bobby Trigg, owner of Princeton’s Ferry House. In addition to a silent auction, guests can also view and purchase samplings from 25 marketplace crafters.
The cost is $75, which includes admission to the party, admission to the marketplace on Saturday and Sunday and a complimentary lunch at the marketplace’s café.
As the event nears, Ms. Spang is trying to stay calm while she continues crafting at her kitchen table. She plans to layer her booth with an assortment of goodies, including handmade dangling charms, pearls knotted with silk cords and even some pieces that feature colored Swarovski crystals, she says.
"I make things that I would wear for myself," she says. "If I like it, then I make it, and people have been very receptive. I hope they like it at Crafters’ Marketplace. I am so excited about it."
For more information, call (609) 497-2100 or visit www.ywcaprinceton.org.

