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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261024T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261024T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008538-1792850400-1792875600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2026-10-24/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261128T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261128T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008539-1795874400-1795899600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2026-11-28/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261226T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261226T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008540-1798293600-1798318800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2026-12-26/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270123T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270123T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008541-1800712800-1800738000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-01-23/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270227T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270227T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008542-1803736800-1803762000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-02-27/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270327T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270327T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008543-1806156000-1806181200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-03-27/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270424T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270424T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008544-1808575200-1808600400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-04-24/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270522T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270522T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008545-1810994400-1811019600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-05-22/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270626T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270626T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008546-1814018400-1814043600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-06-26/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270724T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270724T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008547-1816437600-1816462800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-07-24/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270828T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270828T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008548-1819461600-1819486800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-08-28/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270925T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270925T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008549-1821880800-1821906000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-09-25/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20271023T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20271023T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008550-1824300000-1824325200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-10-23/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20271127T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20271127T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008551-1827324000-1827349200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-11-27/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20271225T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20271225T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008552-1829743200-1829768400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2027-12-25/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280122T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280122T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008553-1832162400-1832187600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-01-22/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280226T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280226T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008554-1835186400-1835211600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-02-26/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280325T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280325T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008555-1837605600-1837630800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-03-25/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280422T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280422T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008556-1840024800-1840050000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-04-22/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280527T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280527T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008557-1843048800-1843074000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-05-27/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280624T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280624T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008558-1845468000-1845493200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-06-24/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280722T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280722T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008559-1847887200-1847912400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-07-22/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280826T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280826T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008560-1850911200-1850936400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-08-26/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20280923T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20280923T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008561-1853330400-1853355600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-09-23/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20281028T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20281028T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008562-1856354400-1856379600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-10-28/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20281125T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20281125T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008563-1858773600-1858798800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-11-25/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20281223T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20281223T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008564-1861192800-1861218000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2028-12-23/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20290127T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20290127T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008565-1864216800-1864242000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2029-01-27/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20290224T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20290224T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008566-1866636000-1866661200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2029-02-24/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20290324T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20290324T210000
DTSTAMP:20260925T171813Z
CREATED:20260924T142058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T171813Z
UID:10008567-1869055200-1869080400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity (cancelled)
DESCRIPTION:NOTE: This event is cancelled due to the nor’easter.\nThe Makers Market Turns the Velvet Mill Into a Seven-Hour Showcase of Local Creativity Saturday\, Sept. 26\, bringing artists\, crafters\, vintage sellers\, and small businesses together inside one of Stonington’s most distinctive buildings. \nRunning from 2 to 9 p.m.\, the Makers Market takes over the Plaza room at the Velvet Mill with tables and displays filled with handmade goods\, artwork\, crafts\, vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces. \nIt’s also the second market to occupy the Mill that day. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday\, followed two hours later by the Makers Market. That makes Sept. 26 an unusually market-heavy day at a building that has itself evolved into a year-round community of artists\, makers and independent businesses. \nA Market Built Around the People Who Make Things\nThe Makers Market is less about shopping from established retail brands and more about meeting the people behind what’s being sold. \nLocal artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage dealers and small businesses set up individual displays\, creating a market where the inventory changes with the vendors. \nThat can mean original artwork and handmade crafts alongside jewelry\, decorative pieces\, repurposed objects\, vintage merchandise and other finds that aren’t likely to appear on the shelves of a conventional store. \nIt’s an approach that fits the Velvet Mill unusually well. \nThe building already houses a community of artists\, craftspeople\, designers and entrepreneurs. Visitors can encounter working studios and independent shops elsewhere in the sprawling complex\, along with places to eat and drink. \nThe Makers Market concentrates that creative culture into one room for the afternoon and evening. \nThe Building Was Made for Makers Long Before the Term Existed\nThere’s an interesting bit of continuity between what happens at the Velvet Mill today and what happened there more than a century ago. \nThe building was constructed in 1888\, when Stonington was looking to attract new industry. \nA. Wimpfheimer & Bro. eventually moved its velvet manufacturing operation to Stonington after initially attempting production in Astoria\, New York. By 1891\, the company was operating 25 looms and employing 35 people in Stonington. \nThe operation became enormous. \nBy the middle of the 20th century\, approximately 450 employees operated around 300 broad looms at the plant. The American Velvet Company became a major part of Stonington’s industrial economy\, with manufacturing processes ranging from weaving and dyeing to finishing taking place under the same roof. \nThe company eventually moved its Connecticut manufacturing operation to Virginia in 1996. \nThat could easily have been the end of the building’s productive life. \nInstead\, the old factory began another one. \nFrom Industrial Mill to Creative Community\nLike former textile mills throughout New England\, the Velvet Mill found a second life through adaptive reuse. \nBut the transformation here is particularly appropriate. \nThe machines and hundreds of industrial workers are gone\, yet the building remains filled with people who make things. \nToday\, the former factory contains artist studios\, craftspeople\, designers\, shops\, wellness businesses and other independent enterprises\, along with food and beverage businesses. \nThe Mill itself describes a kinship between the artisans working there now and the generations of people who worked inside the building when it was a factory. \nThe scale has changed dramatically. \nInstead of hundreds of employees producing velvet for a national market\, today’s occupants may be painters working in individual studios\, craftspeople producing small batches\, vintage dealers finding and restoring old objects or entrepreneurs building businesses one customer at a time. \nThe Makers Market pushes that transformation into the foreground. \nA building constructed for manufacturing becomes a place to buy directly from contemporary makers. \nMake an Afternoon of the Mill\nWith seven hours to wander the market\, there’s little need to treat Saturday as a quick shopping trip. \nThe Velvet Mill has gradually developed into something closer to a small indoor district than a single attraction. \nVisitors can explore the building’s independent shops and studios while stopping for food\, coffee or a drink at businesses elsewhere in the complex. The mix includes an artisanal bakery\, brewery\, wood-fired pizza and other food and beverage options alongside the creative businesses. \nAnd on Sept. 26\, people who arrive early enough can experience two different versions of the local-market idea. \nThe Stonington Farmers’ Market begins at 9 a.m.\, emphasizing locally grown\, raised and prepared foods. \nAfter a two-hour break\, the Makers Market begins at 2 p.m. and shifts the emphasis toward art\, craft\, vintage pieces and handmade goods. \nOne supports people growing and producing things locally. \nThe other supports people designing\, creating and finding them. \nBoth happen at the same 19th-century factory. \nA Fourth-Saturday Tradition\nThe Sept. 26 market isn’t intended as a one-off event. \nThe Makers Market follows a fourth-Saturday monthly schedule\, giving shoppers another reason to return while allowing the mix of vendors and merchandise to change from one market to another. \nThat’s particularly useful with handmade and vintage merchandise. \nAn artist can arrive with newly completed work. A craftsperson can introduce something different. A vintage seller’s inventory can change completely between visits. \nIt makes browsing part of the point. \nYou don’t necessarily need to arrive knowing what you’re looking for. \nIn a building that once produced thousands of yards of velvet according to carefully controlled manufacturing processes\, that’s quite a change. \nNow the appeal is finding something that may exist only once. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Makers Market at The Velvet Mill\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 2–9 p.m.\nSchedule: Held on the fourth Saturday of the month\nLocation: The Velvet Mill\, Plaza Room\nAddress: 22 Bayview Ave.\, Stonington\, CT 06378\nWhat You’ll Find: Local artists\, crafters\, makers\, vintage finds\, handmade goods and small businesses\nAlso Happening Sept. 26: Stonington Farmers’ Market\, 9 a.m.–noon\nVenue: Historic former American Velvet Company manufacturing complex\, now home to artists\, shops\, independent businesses and food and beverage establishments\nVelvet Mill Hours: Individual business hours vary \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-makers-market-turns-the-velvet-mill-into-a-seven-hour-showcase-of-local-creativity/2029-03-24/
LOCATION:Velvet Mill\, 22 Bayview Ave\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Velvet Mill
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Makers-Market-Turns-the-Velvet-Mill-Into-a-Seven-Hour-Showcase-of-Local-Creativity.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR