An Astoria-based makers market is celebrating its one-year anniversary next Sunday.
On July 15, the Queens Craft Brigade (QCB) will hold a special anniversary market at the Rocco Moretto VFW Hall, located at 31-35 31st St. The independent market will feature Queens-only vendors, who sell a range of homemade artwork, fashion, food, jewelry and crafts.
Vendors at the event include Frank Ape, Flattopps x Queens Comfort, Hellgate Farm, Justine Gilbuena, Caryn Cast and Key & Arrow Leather. For a full list of participating vendors, visit queenscraftbrigade.com.
Those who are interested will also get the opportunity to meet with the market vendors at Queens Craft Brigade: Meet the Makers, which will be hosted at The Brass Owl on July 12 at 8 p.m.
Attendees will be able to meet with the seven participating vendors, Unified Queens, Queens Knits, Bench Flour Bakers, Caryn Cast, Paige’s Candle Co., Metrix Jewelry and Poppin, to discuss their experiences starting and running a small business.
QBC will also be at The Brass Owl that night to discuss the history of the market and what their plans are for the future.
The Queens Craft Brigade was founded by Robert Duffy in 2017. Duffy is also the founder of Unified Queens, an apparel line that features original designs inspired by the history of its namesake borough.
“When we launched our T-shirt company, Unified Queens, two years ago, there were not a lot of monthly markets in Queens where we could sell our designs. We do well selling online and in other boroughs, but selling in Queens to our neighbors always has the best results. I live in Astoria and felt the community could support a market like this, so I got to work,” Duffy said.
The founder added that creating the QCB has been “one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done.”
Since its inception, QCB has worked with over 60 businesses throughout Queens, and space is also provided for a local nonprofit of organization that is making a positive impact in the community.
The free event runs on Sunday July 15 from noon to 5 p.m. For more information on the Queens Craft Brigade, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
