Oh my goodness! The most fun event with so many cool gifting options for self and others! Attended with my sister and her 2 kiddos and it was a great place to see the kids find joy in the many little treasures. I enjoyed items from Bread Winners, Broken Egg Clay, and Playfully Bizarre! All the vendors were so friendly, and with varying price points you can really find something special for whoever you may be getting gifts for! read more

Handmade Arcade - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've always heard wonderful things about this show and was really looking forward to attending. Although the artisans had some beautiful things, none of them seemed to have many items (or items at all) under $250-300 a piece. We (myself, my child and my sister) headed downtown, paid for parking, paid $20 each as a donation to enter (we genuinely like to support the arts!) only to see very sparse crowds and very high prices. We ended up not being able to purchase anything. (My budget ahead of time was about $100 after admission) read more

Lots of interesting vendors if you like prints, candles, stickers, jewelry, and art. There's 1 place to get food - I didn't look at prices - and a beverage cart. We watched a glass blowing demonstration. There were a few diy craft tables but my daughter wanted to keep shopping. She didn't find a lot in her price range but came away with a stuffed Keychain and I got some interesting scented candles parking in the garage on Saturday event parking was around $13. We parked farther away since it was a nice evening. read more

The Handmade Arcade is my favorite event each year. So many beautiful homemade gifts to make Christmas shopping easy and special. Wonderful smelling soaps and candles. One-of a-kind clothes, hats and scarves. Soft and cozy baby gifts. And such creative arts and crafts. This year (2021), you need a timed ticket and a mask to reduce the risk of COVID transmission. The line to enter was quite long, but we'll worth the wait. read more

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Great day downtown for the @handmadearcade at the convention center. So many great vendors. @haleyclancy_2 wrote a beautiful poem in less than 5 minutes on an old school typewriter. @capahighschool made silk screened wrapping paper. @una_biologicals had awesome body butters, lip balms, and cuticle salve. Gotta stop at @inclineddesigns to see their not so appropriate but hysterical line of gifts!!!! LOVED IT!!!! @sleepyhollowhandmade there were gorgeous soaps - gotta try the peppermint!!! @squirrelhill.shop had "vintage" stickers that still said Heinz Field - which it will always be. I got my second bracelet and matching earrings from @youcancallmeyoko - made with lava rocks that you can infuse with oils - which I can't wait to try. I love this event! Now I'm just praying I won something from the Chinese auction. The baskets were awesome. read more

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I met a friend at the Handmade Arcade yesterday for a fun evening of shopping! You had to reserve tickets online due to COVID, but they were still free. We had to wear masks while we were there too. They were SO many small business vendors there so it was fun to walk up and down the aisles and look at everything. I bought some nice gifts for Christmas. It was a very fun evening and it was a great opportunity to shop local! read more

Always a great place to find one of a kind items. I can spend hours looking at everything, Very well organized. read more

I love events like this around town. Instead of having to make multiple trips to different areas, you get it all in one stop. This is especially great around the holidays. Don't take that as me knocking the local businesses, I'm applauding them for coming together for the convenience of the community. I came here in attempts to finish off my Christmas shopping and all that I ended up doing was buying things for myself. I always start out with good intentions and then end up getting sidetracked. It's not hard to do when you see all of the goods up for grabs here. Small shout out to Steel City Cotton, not sure what it is with you guys, but every single time I see you at any event, I end up buying a tee from you guys. Although I enjoyed browsing the best part of this was the interactive part. I know it was more aimed towards kids, but aren't we all kids at heart? I made an ornament, took close up pictures of microscopic items with my phone, and the best thing was making an old, unwanted vinyl record a piece of art. I am currently looking for a clocking mechanism to make it a talking piece in my home. It was such a great time here, I look forward to it next year. read more

Here's to Handmade Arcade's 11th year of business! It's cool but unsurprising that they've succeeded this long, especially in a community-centered city like Pittsburgh. This was actually my first year at the official HA - I'd usually catch mini-arcades or a couple of their regular vendors at other events, but I'd never make it to the convention center for the actual HA. Firstly, I heard from friends I ran into on the street that I missed the busiest part of the day - and I am not complaining! Going later in the day meant I could more easily explore the booths. This year's vendors were selling things like reworked vintage jewelery, original prints, homemade clothing and accessories, and oh so much more. My favorites were the vintage jewelery and homemade candles, especially the ones sold in decorative teacups and mugs. Simple, unique, and the perfect gift! I didn't stop for any of the hands-on activities so I can't comment on those, but there are indeed booths where you can get your own projects going. Shopping and craft-making with music and artwork in the background - what's not to like? The fact that everyone and everything is local is just the cherry on top in my opinion. Definitely add this award winning, ever growing show to your list of things to do in the 'Burgh - it's a must! read more

I heard so many great things about handmade arcade and could not wait to check it out! I adore art and craft shows and love supporting small businesses and artists, so I knew I had to attend this year. Their website was easy to navigate and informed my family and I that parking would be free in any Pittsburgh parking authority garage! Which was awesome to know because the other option would be to pay $12 for parking in the David Lawrence convention center. Admission was free! Maps were provided to locate the artists you were looking for. And of course there was an awesome yelp booth where I spun the wheel and won awesome free sunglasses! :) There were TONS of booths. Lots to look at. The one thing that drove me a little insane was how crowded it was, which is to be expected. I also couldn't help but be happy that it was so busy- for all the artists sake. They also had tons of recycling bins which made the Eco conscious nerd in me super happy. Compared to other craft shows, this one is pretty pricey. I could not afford to come here and get all of my gifts for Christmas. Although- the gifts you will find here are unlike anything you could find in some store and the quality of most of the products is unbeatable as well. Overall, I had an awesome time admiring the art in handmade arcade and am looking forward to attending next year as well! read more

**I noticed some confusion within some other reviews, so I want to clarify. The Handmade Arcade is an annual event held at the Convention Center, not a year-round shop!** Handmade Arcade is a favorite local event that I look forward to each December. If you are having trouble with gift ideas before the holidays, it's worth walking around to get some ideas! They have everything from clothing to crafts to housewares to prints and posters. I've always been successful at finding a few unique gifts here each year. A lot of the vendors also have Etsy pages, so if you're not ready to commit, just grab a card and decide later! This event is very popular, so be patient with your browsing and prepare for a large crowd, especially if you plan on bringing small kids. read more

Handmade Arcade the the mecca of anything craft. I have been volunteering for the last few years and it just keeps getting better and better. (If you are going to attend, you should volunteer, it gets you there and you get to wear a cool apron) I feel in the recent years, HA has become way more than your local craft fair. Many new vendors from all over have been popping up with a wide variety of wares. Don't think it is jsut shopping for one of a kind items. Oh no! There is a hands-on section where you can make your own crafts. Kids and adults, alike. Each year something is new, from a photo booth in a camper to performance puppets. If anything, go check it out for the overload of awesome. I bet that you will leave with something truly remarkable. read more

Outstanding! I go every year. It's always a fun event brimming with Pittsburgh pride and holiday cheer. Features diverse indy makers: textiles, jewelry, ceramics, 2-D art, soaps and scents, novelties, and more. Great gifts. The live DJ's music makes me dance down the aisles. The space at the Lawrence Center works perfectly - plenty of room for the makers and shoppers - never feels crowded even though it's busy/vibrant. The event is exceptionally well run. A Pittsburgh gem! read more

Poor Lawrenceville - it must have been struggling! All the hipsters appeared to have swarmed to the Handmade Arcade. Hipsters aside, the event was fairly good. I expected a lot more stalls and a larger space given that it was held at the Convention Centre. My favourite stalls were those with various Pittsburgh related kitsch items - t-shirts, prints, woodwork, pierogi aprons etc. However, I do draw the line at spending $25 on a mug merely featuring a generic Pittsburgh bridge around the base. Overall, it was a fun way to spend an hour or so of my weekend and likely serves well for those you want to find unique and quirky holiday presents for their friends and family. read more

Imagine Portlandia and all the types of hipsters there. Like, even the subcultures with no names. They're at Handmade Arcade - with all their styles, all their wares. One day a year, in one place, you can stock up and become the best kind of hipster there is: the Ironic Pittsburgh t-shirt Yinzer Hipster. Doesn't get better than that. I should know... read more

I never leave this event empty-handed. My last excursion yielded a collar made of multi-coloured knitted balls. On of my most prized accessories. read more

We are seeing a variety of crafts. Some are fantastic and some . . . Not so much. I love the environment. It inspires me to be more creative myself. I am loving the organ grinder as well as the female dance troupe. Glad we decided to come downtown and check it out. read more

I LOVE creative markets like this one. It's so inspiring to take in and appreciate so much art from so many craftsmen, all together in one place. It is a little confusing when you find a cheerleading competition in the Convention Center instead of a craft market. Keep looking and you'll find it in the far left corner of the second floor in the right half of the building (from the river side). No need to spend the extra $ for the Early Birdie admission; I hear it was just as crowded as the regular hours. This was my second Handmade Arcade. A lot of the same vendors from the previous year's arcade and from the other handmade craft markets had booths, but there were plenty of newcomers as well. The Arcade is unique to other local craft markets because of the make-your-own section, where anyone can choose a particular activity table to get in on the fun and make things. The DJ and eye-catching, costumed stilt-walkers are also a nice touch. Markets like this are a great place to find unique, local treasures that you won't see anywhere else, and a great way for local craftsmen to find support for their efforts. Definitely swing by when you see one! read more

Great place to go shopping for local, creative and innovative arts and crafts. The organization of space was pretty good. Some things seemed over price, and I was looking to buy for cheap. Great time to go wander around! And get your hands on a gift or two. AND, got a pair of gloves, for free, from yelp. Thank you. read more

This has been my second Yelp event. It was great! I'm a craft person and a jewelry fanatic, but then again what girl isn't. They had a lot of booths with my exact taste! I loved it and I'll definetly be going back! read more

I wish someone would have posted that it's a periodical store that isn't all year round

This was a last minute find and I am happy I went. I actually purchased a wooden Christmas or ornament for a friend. It wasn't very crowded even thought we went as soon as it opened in the morning. There was a variety of items to choose from. It was pretty cool. read more

I have gone two years in a row and I've not been disappointed. Wonderful artists from Pittsburgh and surrounding states come to sell their stuff. Some are not my taste, others are so cool and a few only sell here. read more