Hillsdale Craft Supply celebrates five years with artist and vendor market

Hillsdale Craft Supply hosted its five-year anniversary celebration over the weekend with a local artist and an outdoor vendor market.

Shelley Mangus, owner of Hillsdale Craft, said the event was the store’s biggest event since its founding in June 2017.

“It was absolutely fabulous,” Mangus said, “We had the biggest turnout for an event here that we’ve ever had."

The store is the hub for many of the artists in Hillsdale, not only selling supplies, but also providing a space for local artists to teach classes in everything from acrylic painting and crochet to clay and glass arts.

Mangus said the celebration was especially important as a thank-you from her to the Hillsdale community, especially after all the support Hillsdale Craft received during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The community has meant everything and we couldn’t have made it without them,” Mangus said.

In 2020, the store had to shut down for two weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, but then Mangus realized there was a great need in the community that her business could fill.

“It all came to a halt for two weeks, and then all of a sudden the phone started ringing,” she said, “It was all these parents crying out for help.”

With schools closed, parents started homeschooling their children. Hillsdale Craft became an essential supplier for parents for homeschooling materials and supplies.

Yet, Mangus said she had to fight to maintain the essential status and keep her business open because of mandatory closures by the state.

“I had to fight the governor tooth and nail,” Mangus said, “She kept trying to shut me down and I had to keep explaining that I’m essential because I am the only homeschool supplier in town.”

Mangus was able to work out a system to get customers what they needed, but she said it wasn’t easy.

“I was literally open dawn to dusk so I could handle everybody that needed to shop in a day with only two or three customers allowed in the store at a time,” she said.

Being the only art store for 30 miles has made Hillsdale Craft essential for many local artists, yet Mangus said the community is also a key part of the success of the store.

“This is a creatively artistic community,” she said, “From Amish to 99 year old customers, they are the ones who have built my store.”

Mangus said it has been a blessing to her to get to serve the community and see all the ways the community serves local businesses.

“All I can say is that I am very blessed,” Mangus said, “I am so blessed to be able to do this and I want to give a big thank you from me to the entire Hillsdale community for the most fabulous weekend event we have ever had.”

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Craft Supply celebrates five years