Old Poway’s Boardwalk Craft Market celebrates 20 years

By Emily Sorensen

The Boardwalk Craft Market in Old Poway Park is celebrating 20 years of providing heritage crafts to park visitors this year.

The craft market is currently being held the first Saturday of every month, with the next show Saturday, April 7 on the covered boardwalk surrounding the Poway Heritage Museum and Hamburger Factory.

The craft market began 20 years ago as a co-op owned by the Poway Arts and Crafts Guild, located in the shops across the street from Old Poway Park. Dissatisfied with having to be shopkeepers, the guild decided not to renew their lease, and instead started having individual art sales around town. Around this same time, the City of Poway acquired Old Poway Park and began the Farmer’s Market. Once that was in full swing, they approached the guild about having a craft market similar to the Farmer’s Market in the park.

Being that their market would be located in Old Poway Park, neither the city nor the guild wanted to do an ordinary craft market. “Old Poway Park isn’t ordinary,” said Valerie Ann Bailey of the Poway Arts and Crafts Guild and the Boardwalk Craft Market.

Because it’s a heritage park, the guild came up with a system for a heritage craft market. “In order to participate, people have to do a craft that people were doing 100 to 150 years ago,” said Bailey. “It’s living history.”

The craft market is also a juried show, which means not just anyone can set up shop. In order to obtain a table on the boardwalk, a potential seller must submit to the guild their artist’s statement and philosophy, say how long they’ve been crafting, where they learned it, what they know about the history of their craft, and submit pictures of their work.

“What visitors see in the craft market reflects positively on the park,” said Bailey.

However, Bailey assured that the guild does not discriminate against newcomers. “Beginners are welcome if their work is good,” Bailey said. Hundreds of full-time and part-time artists have been a part of the craft market over the past 20 years.

One of the biggest draws initially for the guild was the covered boardwalk, which allowed them to save time and money by not having to put up canvases. Though the boardwalk limits space, Bailey said the challenge it provides is welcome.

“Spaces are ten feet wide, which forces the artist to only bring their very best work,” said Bailey. “They have to plan their exhibit space as if they were at an art show.”

The upcoming show on April 7 will feature a wide variety of heritage crafts for sale, including blown glass, hand-drawn greeting cards, pottery, glass, silver and mixed metal jewelry, handmade soap, and wood crafts, as well as a wood-turning demonstration for public viewing.

The Boardwalk Craft Market will also be participating in the upcoming Poway Valley Garden Club’s Standard Flower Show in Old Poway Park 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, April 14. The market will be located around the fountain between the train depot and the gazebo/bandstand.

The Boardwalk Craft Market is held 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. the first Saturday of every month (excluding January), with times increasing to the first and third Saturday of the month in June, July and August, and every Saturday from September to Christmas. For more information, call 858-486-3497 or contact powayartscraftsguild@gmail.com.