Celebrating its 47th year, Aiken’s Makin began on Friday morning, Sept. 8, at Park Avenue between Union and Chesterfield streets, during another busy weekend in the CSRA.
Bringing festival goers and craftsmen from all over the south, Aiken’s Makin’ features almost 300 vendors and their various handcrafted goods, such as paintings, birdhouses, fresh food, hair accessories, candles and countless more.
Unlike 2022, where participating vendors were limited due to social distancing concerns, the outdoor venue not only reopened to full capacity, but was also able to provide another 45 spots – making this year’s event the largest it has ever been.
With about a third of the vendors changing every year, Aiken Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, David Jameson, said the county always looked forward to the event.
“This is a great Aiken Chamber community event that draws about 30,000 people,” he said. “I tell people it’s a cross between a tent revival and a family reunion, because a lot of people in Aiken don’t see each other until they come out here … and then they enjoy the collection of arts that are here.”
Hand selecting small businesses through a committee, Jameson said each vendor is required to reapply every year and undergo a scoring process in order to participate. According to Jameson, this process ensures that every Aiken’s Makin’ is different and exciting.
“People just enjoy it; it’s relaxing, and it feels like our version of Americana,” said Jameson. “It’s kind of a step back in the past, because nobody is on their devices out here and everybody is enjoying what’s available.”
For Aiken occupants, one of the best aspects of the festival is the delicious and savory food.
“To be honest, we usually come for the food … there just some neat stuff here that you can’t really get otherwise,” said Shannon Rabun. “It’s a nice day and I just wanted to get out with my mom. I think it’s just a win-win for everybody – the vendors and the town.”
Having just met visitors from Florida escaping the bad weather, Rabun said she had even seen how Aiken’s Makin’ has caused travelers to take interest in the downtown shops as well as the booths.
Other attendees said they loved the large gathering because of how it magnified the local community.
“It gets everybody together,” said Emma Stapleton. “It’s very good for Aiken. It brings people to see all the stores too.”
While some local residents come with the intent to shop til they drop, others participated in the annual craft show with the hopes of making a decent profit from their quality work.
“I’ve been doing this show since 1996,” said Diane Blazer, a vendor who drove from North Carolina. “This is our livelihood. People here keep us going.”
According to Blazer, being able to purchase handmade and even customized items exposes shoppers to quality goods that might otherwise be hard to procure.
“You can’t change something on the shelf in a retail store, and all the stores get their stuff from China,” she said.
Fellow small business owner, Chris Oliver said citizens should want to support participating booths, because independent entrepreneurs are the “backbone of the country.”
Apart from “making a good buck,” Oliver said he and his wife also love Aiken’s Makin’ because of the vibrant and warm community.
“I have been here before, and we like the people and the town. It’s really comfortable and we just feel like we belong here,” said Oliver.
As many travel to join in on the vast festival, the event also encourages numerous vendors to also assist in boosting the local economy.
“Two things happen, we have crafters that travel who come from Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and all around, and we have a lot of local crafters here,” said Jameson. “Well the ones that travel, they have to stay somewhere and they have to eat, so there’s been money coming in the county from that.”
As participants check-off early Christmas shopping off their to-do list and vendors build connections with customers, Jameson said he hopes every visitor leaves with a smile on their face and weighted down hands.
“There are so many reasons why this is successful,” he said. “This is like the front door to Aiken for some people … and I hope they just enjoy a good time.”
For more information about Aiken’s Makin, please visit: https://www.aikenchamber.net/aikensmakin.html
The festival will continue on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
