You love local?
Us too!

Merchants and Makers is a collective of West Michigan creatives + shops coming together to feature their products in a fun, relaxed event space. This isn’t your grandmother’s bazaar, although she would probably have a blast (so bring her!) It’s Etsy in person. It’s a curated party of handmade goodness. It’s a new generation of craft fair and it’s a growing movement that has more than doubled in size and number since it started just eight years ago.

Meet the
Team.

Shyle Lyons, a former social worker and small-business owner dreamed up + created the first Merchants and Makers event in 2017. The event was a success and Shyle realized how much fun she had planning it. Why not do it again? She recruited her former Hope College roommate + friend, Meghan French, to do branding and marketing for the next event. They learned over time what shoppers wanted and what makers craved: fun, ease, quality, local products… and community over competition! Merchants and Makers continued to gain momentum and the team grew!

The Merchants and Makers Team
Pictured from Left to Right above:
Emily Klingensmith, Staff Coordinator
Christina Hutton, Assistant Market Director
Chandi Pape, Event Production Manager
Shyle Lyons, Founder and Market Director
Meghan French, Creative Director

Now hosting around 11 events per year, Merchants and Makers fills a unique void in the community by showcasing local artisans who may not otherwise have a venue to feature their items. It’s a space for them to share their creativity and passions and a space for the community to gather together with friends. The M+M team curates the shows and always wants to be sure the events have a mix of fan favorites and new vendors! Community over competition has become the motto for the makers; they support one another and even have a chance to meet quarterly to discuss small business topics.

What can you expect at our events? We always have live music, great food, drinks (a bar and other), and a hand-picked group of makers from all over West Michigan. Most of our events have around 100 different makers who make items like handcrafted bath and beauty products, unique jewelry, delicious drink mixers, home decor made from reclaimed wood, hand-spun cotton candy, succulent planters, screen printed t-shirts, gifts for kids and adults alike, and so much more. Come discover something new for you, your home, and to gift!

JOIN THE

Shop Local Movement.

PRESS