2025 Holiday Market Application

2025 Holiday Market Application

Thank you for your interest in applying for Handmade Arcade's 2025 Holiday Market on December 5-6, 2025 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

This application will take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. Your application cannot be saved, so we recommend you prepare your answers on a saved document and then complete this application in one sitting. We recommend you review our Maker Application Rubric and Holiday Market FAQs before completing your application.

Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 11:59 PM (EST)

Application Fee: $25

Application Notifications: Late August

Booth Fee Due: Friday, September 12 at 11:59 PM (EST)

Application notifications will be sent from makers@handmadearcade.org. Handmade Arcade will send notification emails to all applicants (accepted, waitlisted, and those not accepted).

Eligibility:
- Maker business must adhere to Handmade Arcade’s definition of a “handmade business” as defined in our Holiday Market FAQs
- Maker must not be a food or beverage vendor
MAKER INFORMATION
First Name*
Last Name*
Pronouns
Business Name*
Email*
example@example.com
Street Address Line 1*
Street Address Line 2
City*
State/Province*
Postal/Zip Code*
Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number.
How did you hear about applications for Handmade Arcade's Holiday Market? Please check all that apply.*

Handmade Arcade Instagram PostHandmade Arcade Facebook PostSponsored advertisement on Facebook or InstagramOpportunity shared by partner nonprofit or arts organizationEmail from Handmade ArcadeEvent poster around PittsburghFellow maker recommended it to meOnline or print media advertisement about the opportunityOther
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Have you ever been a maker at a Handmade Arcade Market?*
If yes, what years and under what business name(s)?*
If you have been a maker at a previous Handmade Arcade Market, please indicate how you have participated (check all that apply).*

Craft CorridorStandard BoothExpanded BoothYouth MakerSponsorHands-On Handmade Arcade ArtistOther
BOOTH TYPES

Craft Corridor Booth:
- $175
- 8 ft x 8 ft space
- Reserved for new & emerging makers who have not participated in a previous Handmade Arcade Holiday Market
- If you are a seasoned maker who is simply new to Handmade Arcade, you should apply for the Standard Booth. Preference will be given to emerging makers for the Craft Corridor Booth spaces.
- Craft Corridor Booths are limited. To give yourself the best shot at being accepted into the market, we recommend selecting both the Craft Corridor Booth AND the Standard Booth on your Holiday Market Application if you are willing to pay a Standard Booth fee.
Standard Booth:
- $365
- 10 ft x 10 ft
- Available to both new and established makers, though new & emerging makers are encouraged to also apply for a Craft Corridor Booth if appropriate for their business.
- If you are a maker with a brick-and-mortar store, you are strongly encouraged to become a Small Business Sponsor if your annual budget allows. Preference for Standard Booths may be given to makers with fewer opportunities to interact with in-person shoppers.
What type of booth are you applying for?*

Craft Corridor BoothStandard Booth
After makers are selected by the jury, they will receive a Accepted Maker Confirmation Form to complete. They will then be able to make additional requests, such as:
- Expanded Booth Requests:
  - $725
  - 10 ft x 20 ft
  - Expanded Booths are not guaranteed, and makers cannot select “Expanded Booth” on the application.
  - There will be a random lottery for Standard Booth makers who request to upgrade to an Expanded Booth.
  - To be entered into the Expanded Booth lottery, accepted makers must select "I would like to be entered into the Expanded Booth Lottery" on the Accepted Maker Confirmation Form and pay the Standard Booth fee within one week of receiving their acceptance email. If selected for the Expanded Booth lottery, makers will then receive a payment link to upgrade from a Standard Booth to an Expanded Booth.
- Electricity Requests:
  - Electricity is $75. This fee is accurate as of May 2025. Please note that the amount may change depending on venue requirements, though we anticipate it will stay approximately the same. All requests for electricity will be submitted in the Accepted Maker Confirmation Form.
- Endcap Requests:
  - Endcap booths are available for an additional $50. Endcap booths are limited. There will be a random lottery for makers who request and endcap booth. Those who want to be entered into the lottery will need to select "Endcap Booth Upgrade Request" on the Accepted Maker Confirmation Form if they are accepted into the market.
- Accessibility Requests: All accessibility requests related to booth placement will be submitted in the Accepted Maker Confirmation Form.
MAKER APPLICATION
GUIDELINES

Makers are encouraged to view our Holiday Market Rubric to understand how their applications will be evaluated.

Handmade Arcade defines a "handmade business" as follows:
- Artist(s) created the original products
- No use of mass-produced, trademarked, or licensed items in work
- No use of copyrighted designs artist(s) doesn't own in the work
- No use of purchased, downloaded, or copied images or designs in work
- At least 80% artist's original creation
Trademarked/copyrighted designs may include “references to (or content from) a celebrity, fictional character, designer, business, company, film, tv show, band, sports team, book, product name, or any other copyrighted, trademarked, or otherwise protected materials.” (Spoonflower, 2024)

Fan art is technically copyright infringement. While fan art can sometimes be considered fair use, that's typically only the case for fan art that is created for non-commercial purposes like personal enjoyment. Using a celebrity's likeness for commercial purposes can be a violation of their right to publicity, which is another legal issue.

There are two primary reasons that Handmade Arcade has moved away from allowing trademarked/copyrighted designs at our markets.

First, as our mission is to provide makers with professional development, we don't want to knowingly enable practices that could lead to makers dealing with legal issues related to selling copyrighted work.

Second, while Handmade Arcade celebrates the incredible amount of talent and skill that goes into the creation of fan art, fan art is work that derives from and incorporates elements of someone else's work. While all art is, of course, derivative in some senses, we want to amplify the work of makers who are creating new characters, images, and art that comes from their imagination rather than the likeness or existing characters.

If you are a maker who sells some products that are fan art and some that are not, you are still eligible to apply and sell at the Holiday Market! We encourage you to leave fan art-related products out of your application. If accepted into the Holiday Market, you will be prohibited from selling fan-art related products.

Applicants who do not fit the definition of "handmade business" will not be considered.
I certify that my work aligns with Handmade Arcade's criteria for a "handmade business."*

YesNo
How to describe yourself? Please check all that apply.*

MakerArtistCreative EntrepreneurCrafterOther
Which of the following best describes your work as a maker?*

My maker business is my main source of income.My maker business provides supplemental but necessary income.My maker business is a hobby, and I do not rely on that income to pay my bills.Other
What artistic category do your products best fit into? *
What would you consider to be your artistic sub-category, if any?
Website
Company website, link to Etsy shop, etc.
Facebook
Please share only business-related social media pages, not personal social media accounts.
Instagram
Please share only business-related social media pages, not personal social media accounts.
Other Social Media Accounts
Please share only business-related social media pages, not personal social media accounts.
What is the price range of the products you would sell at the Holiday Market?*
What do the majority of your products sell for?*
APPLICATION RESPONSES
This section of the application includes answering the following questions:
- Describe the products you create.
- What makes your products unique?
- Describe your creative process and how you make your products.
You can provide this additional information in a written format, voice recording, or video submission.

We recommend reviewing the Holiday Market Rubric before completing your application. Please note that if maker scores are tied during the jurying process, priority will be given to makers who are residents of Allegheny County and makers whose businesses are either their primary source of income or supplemental but necessary income.
How would you like to answer the three questions above?*

Written FormatVoice RecordingVideo Submission
Describe the products you will sell if selected for the Holiday Market.*
What makes your products unique?*
Tell us about the innovative materials you use, the creative approach to your products, why each piece is one-of-a-kind, etc.
Describe your creative process. *
Tell us about the materials, tools, skills, and techniques you use to create your products.
Describe the products you create, what makes your products unique, and the creative process you use to make your products. Please make sure you tell us about the materials you use, the creative approach to making, the tools you use, what artistic skills and techniques you use, etc.*
Do you need more than 3:00 minutes to answer these questions?*

NoYes
Please feel free to use an additional three minutes of voice recording to complete your application responses. We can accept up to six minutes of voice recordings for your application.*
Please link to a video showing us the products you create, what makes your products unique, and the creative process you use to make your products. Please make sure you tell us about the materials you use, the creative approach to making, the tools you use, what artistic skills and techniques you use, etc. (Feel free to show us your creative process and/or you making one of your products in your studio in this video).
Video length must be no longer than 6 minutes. Link can go to a file on Google Drive, unlisted YouTube video, Dropbox file, etc. If you are unable to create a link, feel free to email your video to makers@handmadearcade.org.
Please upload a video showing us the products you create, what makes your products unique, and the creative process you use to make your products. Please make sure you tell us about the materials you use, the creative approach to making, the tools you use, what artistic skills and techniques you use, etc. (Feel free to show us your creative process and/or you making one of your products in your studio in this video).*

Video length must be no longer than 6 minutes.
Cancelof
Application Photos
GUIDELINES

Applicants must submit a minimum of three (3) and maximum of seven (7) photos. Photos must display your products through clear, well-lit images and should showcase a good variety of your products. Please ensure that images are high-quality, free of text, watermarks, logos and all important details should be clearly seen. If products are small, take care to take quality close-up shots.

Your application photos should not include headshots or studio shots.

Examples of great product photography: Here, here, and here.
- Maximum File Size: 10 mb
- Allowed File Types: jpg, png
- Photos MUST represent the work you plan to sell if accepted into the Holiday Market.
- Please include only one photo of your booth/table set-up from another market or a test set-up at home if you have one. Strong booth design will show Market Readiness, which is a category on the 2025 Holiday Market Rubric.
- Product photos that also showcase packaging and branding, especially for categories like candles and Bath & Body products, are helpful to the jury to determine Market Readiness.
  Photos can be flat lays with multiple products, but jurors must be able to see products clearly.
- If you are applying for the Artwork or Paper Goods categories, please include pictures that clearly showcase the products you will sell with your artwork (i.e. prints of your artwork, stickers, tote bags with your artwork, etc.).
- Feel free to include pictures that showcase your creative process as long as they allow jurors to clearly view the products you will sell at the Holiday Market.
- Please include your business name as the image file name. Example: MyBusiness1.jpg, MyBusiness2.jpg, etc.
Applications without at least three (3) images will not be considered.
Application Photos*

Cancelof
Demographic Information (Optional)
One of Handmade Arcade's strategic plan initiatives is to diversify the makers, attendees, and contractors that participate in all of our programs and services. We invite applicants to share their demographic information so we can better understand if we are succeeding in these goals. The following demographic questions are optional, and responses will be kept private and secure.
What category best describes you? Please feel free to check all that apply.

American Indian or Alaska NativeAsian American/South Asian/AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanic, Latinx or Latino, or Spanish OriginMiddle Eastern or North AfricanNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderWhite/Caucasian/EuropeanPrefer not to answerOther
What is your age range?
Are you a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community?
What is your gender?

WomanManNonbinaryAgenderPrefer not to answerOther
Are you a person with a disability (including but not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses)?
There will be a limited number of Standard Booth scholarships available for the 2025 Holiday Market. Five of these scholarships will be for Black makers. The remaining scholarships will go to BIPOC makers who are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and/or a maker with a disability. If accepted into the Holiday Market, would you like to be considered for one of these scholarships?*

Yes, I would like to be consideredNo, I do not need a scholarship at this time
To be eligible for a scholarship, please make sure you have completed the optional demographic questions listed above.
Agreements
Applicants who are not accepted into the Holiday Market may opt-in to receive their scores from the jurying process to better understand how they could improve their application in the future. If you are not accepted into the Holiday Market, would you like to receive your juried scores?*

YesNo
Please review Handmade Arcade's Maker Terms & Conditions.
I have read and understood the Handmade Arcade Terms and Conditions. I agree that violation of any of these policies, before or during the event, gives Handmade Arcade the right to rescind the Accepted Maker’s booth space for the event or remove the Accepted Maker during the event without refund of the booth fee or any additional fees. Violations of these policies will be documented, shared with the Accepted Maker, and kept on file. Policy violations may prevent an Accepted Maker from being accepted into a future market.*

Yes
Application Payment
Non-refundable application fee is $25. To apply for an application fee waiver, please complete this form by Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM (EST).

My Products

2025 Holiday Market Application Fee

$25.00

Enter coupon

Total

$0.00

Payment Details
First Name	Last Name
Credit Card Number	Security Code
Card Expiration

Should be Empty:

MAKER INFORMATION

APPLICATION INFORMATION

BOOTH TYPES

MAKER APPLICATION

APPLICATION RESPONSES

Application Photos

Demographic Information (Optional)

Agreements

Application Payment