How It All Began The History of the Jerico Faire
The first Jerico Faire back in 2018… we really had a thing for paper trees and chains apparently
Long summer days in Michigan are truly one of a kind. Here in Kalamazoo, summer days are best spent kayaking on the Kalamazoo River, biking the Kal-Haven trail, seeing a show at the Bell’s Beer Garden, or my personal favorite - attending one of the dozens of amazing artist and vintage vendor markets all throughout the city. Despite its size, Kalamazoo has so much to offer here on the southwest side of the state.
In the winter of 2018 we held our first-ever Jerico Faire. In all honesty, we had zero idea what we had gotten ourselves into. Back then were also the Fido Motors Cafe days, and we found ourselves running back and forth from room to room putting out fires from our own lack of organization, pouring hundreds of lattes, and crying in the stockroom from the overwhelm of the crowd and sheer amount of what-the-fuck-did-we-just-get-ourselves-into energy. (Sidebar - I wouldn’t recommend being the only people running a cafe AND an artist market at. the. same. time.) I remember at the end of the night Krystal asking me if I was going to quit and not come back the next day. I don’t know what I said to her, but I remember pouring us both a shot of tequila and laughing the rest of the night away cleaning up bags of garbage and washing away a mountain of dishes.
We were still in the early days of figuring out what Jerico was and who we wanted to be. Despite the true headache (and backache and foot ache) that first Faire was, it felt like we finally cracked open the imaginary door to a new way of operating. We knew we wanted more than to just serve coffee and rent out studios. We wanted to build a place where artists were celebrated and had a place to create a community that was different than what we’d experienced in Kalamazoo. We had no experience hosting vendor markets (big shout out if you were one of our first vendors) and as the years went on we didn’t stop there. That first event feels like a lifetime ago, and we’ve grown and learned so much on the way.
The summer Jerico Faire in 2022, featuring Sara Rio Ceramics.
Summer is our favorite time of year to open our doors. Brushing off the mental dust of winter and feeling actually alive again? It’s a special feeling. While we’ve gotten our footing and learned so many lessons - often painful or embarrassing - sometimes we still wonder how we got here. How’d we get so lucky with the community around us? How do this many people care about our little place on the corner of Fulford? To be honest, we’re okay without knowing those answers.
If you’re a Michigan artist and we haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet, let us introduce ourselves: Hi. We are a small team of people with a love for our community and a passion for supporting everyday artists and makers. We like to have fun, and we try our best to prioritize making you feel seen, supported and cared for. We hope that one day we can make some magic together.
The Jerico Faire is a faire featuring a collection of local makers and artists located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Whether you are a first-time or well-seasoned vendor, we invite you to join us. We host vendors from around the Michigan area ranging in a wide array of handmade art, items, and goods. Applications are always open—upcoming 2023 Dates: June 23rd, September 23rd, December 16.
Join Us At The Summer Jerico Faire
Saturday June 24, 2-8 PM
