Hand painted porcelain by Vida’s Collectibles, Underwood, ND
I like to support local artists and craftspeople, so it’s odd that I’d never been to the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase before.
Stunning and functional pieces from Ulmer Stoneware, Frazee, MN
All of the Pride of Dakota vendors — over 475 total — are local and range in size from mom and pop shops to stores with over 100 employees. They do several shows a year to promote their products, so I set off in the name of research to see what they had to offer.
Old-school goodies – made with lots of butter and cream – from Rendezvous Candy, Mayville, ND
What I found was a sort of hybrid craft fair/art show/church bake sale atmosphere with a little wine tasting thrown in.When did North Dakota get so many wineries? Not that I’m complaining. Just designate a driver if you like fruit, rhubarb or dandelion wines.
Freddy’s Lefse – a Midwestern tradition, West Fargo, ND
Since it’s the holiday show, you can expect lots of Christmas baked goods like somebody’s Norwegian (or Swedish, or Russian or German) grandma used to make and tons of spreads, jellies and dips to be sampled on little pretzel sticks.
Pendants by Live Out Loud Designs, Fargo, ND
I always get distracted by jewelry and was happy to see a variety of styles represented.
Cupcake Dish Towel by b.haven, Bismarck, ND.
My favorite find of the day was Sharon Higley’s shop, b.haven. The former graphic designer’s pillows, dish towels and clever cards made me smile. (And want cupcakes for dinner…although that happens a lot anyway.) And Sharon herself is very fun. Stay tuned for a feature on Sharon and her shop!
Adorable grape magnets by Happy Magnets, Grand Forks, ND
I loved these freakishly cute magnets, too. They had other shapes as well, but the ones made to look like adorable food (fried eggs, fortune cookies, tiny little smiling hot dogs) were my favorites. This is serious cuteness, people — Japanese level cuteness — so if that’s your thing, be prepared to buy a lot.
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