By: Kayla Williams / News Reporter

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Over 30 vendors came together at the St. Cloud Rose Fall Craft and Gift Show to show their small businesses at the Crossroads Center from Oct. 17-19.

The annual show was packed with a lively crowd, with first-time entrepreneurs and skilled craftsmen gathering to showcase their creativity. Beneath the cheerful crowd and creativity, the craft show isn’t just about sharing your passion. It’s a high-stakes business where passion meets viability. For many vendors, creativity alone isn’t enough; success requires strategy, setup, and patience.

The Cost of Passion

Vendors face financial hurdles before sales start. With booth fees climbing as high as $300, small businesses have to depend on their ability to reel in enough customers to even out the event fees.

“It’s always a gamble,” said 85-year-old Allan Anderson from Alexandria, Owner of Allan’s Woodshop. “You hope to make it back, but I mostly come to share my work.”

Anderson crafts crosses, gnomes, tiny bird houses, and more unique items, where he relies on natural, unstained wood to highlight the wood’s natural beauty. He said he prefers to let the grains’ color and texture speak for themselves.

Since his wife’s passing six years ago, Anderson said woodworking has become both therapy and connection. “Most people buy my work as gifts,” he said. “That makes me feel good, it’s something meaningful being passed on.”

New Challenges and Creativity

Aaron Hanauer, a 49-year-old co-founder of Confetti Blossom, based in Minneapolis, took his new Swedish candy business to their first showing at the craft show. His 12-year-old daughter inspired him to start the business because of her love of Scandinavian sweets.

Aaron said, “We wanted to show her you can take an idea and make it real.”

With the idea, Hanauer still faced obstacles to make it a reality. An example includes importing candy from Sweden, which means going through paperwork and hiring someone to import the candy before it can be sold.

Jennifer Johnson, a 48-year-old from Duluth, owner of DIY Kits, sells craft boxes filled with everything customers would need to make fairy and gnome homes. She sells her products on Amazon and Etsy, though he prefers in-person sales rather than online sales.

“Online, you don’t get that instant feedback,” Johnson said, “here you see people’s reactions, it reminds you why you do this.”

More to see

Some vendors sell free-spirited items. Tupperware, created by 35-year-old Pam Meyer, is a small business that sells containers for a lower price to the public.

“I knew in my kitchen I needed to get a bunch of Tupperware,” she said, sharing why she started her business.

Kate Stich, a 55-year-old from Hillman, was promoting her business Kate’s Bees-Ness that features wildflower and clover honey, which she began producing for natural health benefits. Something that started as a hobby is now a small operation outside of her full-time job.

Bigger companies like Leaf Guard made an appearance at the Craft show. Marketer Tracy Van Den Boom said events like this help reach homeowners. Tracy said, “People at craft fairs are browsing, not shopping for gutter., You have to grab their attention fast and keep it personal.”

Experience with Success

Ignoring high cost and the long hours for both vendors and shoppers, many said the in-person experience is worth it.

Thirty-year-old Hannah Forsland, from Waite Park, a shopper and frequent craft show attendee, said she enjoys the spontaneity of discovering new items. “You find random ideas here. Things you didn’t know even existed,” she said.

Event organizer Frank Rodriguez said the craft show aims to balance business with community. “Our main goal is to give vendors the best possible experience. If we make it worthwhile, they’ll come back, and that keeps the community alive.”

He mentioned how attendance has looked better in the past two years as people look for a face-to-face experience after the COVID-19 pandemic.

So for many creators, success isn’t measured in dollars but in the connection from their craft to the receiver.