Organizers expecting most vendors ever for LiveNF Makers Market

Nov. 24—In terms of the number of vendors, this year's LiveNF Makers Market is shaping up to be the largest one ever.

Phil Mohr, one of the lead market organizers, said between 120 and 125 vendors are scheduled to take part in the annual event when doors open at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Niagara Falls Convention Center.

"I think with the momentum from the last few years people have seen the opportunity and the high volume of foot traffic we get," Mohr said. "We've continued to gain additional vendors. This year, we have our core coming back, plus new ones."

LiveNF, a non-profit organization that works to encourage people to consider living and working in the Falls through various events and social interactions, started the Makers Market on Third Street in 2017.

A year later, organizers moved the market to the old Niagara Gazette building on Niagara Street before moving it to its current location at the Niagara Falls Convention Center on Old Falls Street in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 market, but Mohr, who serves as president of the board for LiveNF, said the event has been steadily growing ever since.

"We've tried to continue to do it in Niagara Falls," Mohr said. "As a community, there's such great potential down there."

"The Makers Market really was an opportunity to highlight so many of our local small businesses and artist and artisans that are in our area," he added. "So often, we saw all these great events in Western New York but very few existed in Niagara County and in the City of Niagara Falls."

The 2023 Makers Market promises to offer shoppers a similar experience to previous markets. There will be live music by local musician Jamie Holka and vendors will be selling a wide variety of handmade, hand-crafted and personalized items, including pieces of art, photography, woodworking, sculpture, glass work and scarves, hats, gloves and other articles of clothing. The group of vendors will include 15 "mini makers," area young people who developed their own items to sell as part of the Niagara Falls Housing Authority Youth Entrepreneurship Program.

"Many things are handmade. Other things are purchased and customized by the vendors. The opportunities really vary," Mohr said.

As has been the case with the event in the past, the 2023 Makers Market will take place on Shop Small Saturday, a nationwide campaign held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to highlight the value of small businesses and small business owners.

"The opportunity is in front of people to share what's special about Niagara Falls and the surrounding area, including Niagara County," Mohr said. "You can see over 100 small businesses in the matter of an hour or two and you can be really affecting those people's lives. By purchasing items from them, you will be helping them be able to put presents under their own Christmas trees."

The biggest new feature of the 2023 Makers Market will be the award of what LiveNF members say will now be an annual scholarship program supported by funds raised during the event each year.

Working with the Niagara Falls Education Foundation, LiveNF and market sponsors will be presenting a scholarship to a graduating senior from Niagara Falls High School at the start of this year's event. Mohr said organizers are committing to donate $25,000 to the scholarship fund over the next 10 years.

The scholarship will be supported, in part, by the $1 admission cost to enter the market. In addition, proceeds from presented by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area will allow the new scholarship to grow over time, assisting more young people in the process, organizers said.

"We're looking to build basically a legacy scholarship that will be here long past our years hopefully," Mohr said. "Our organization has shifted over the years. We started out as a bunch of 20-year-olds and now we are in our 40s and we were trying to think of how we could improve the city and we just decided that improving next generation is how we can improve it."

In addition to the Niagara Falls Heritage Area, which serves as the title sponsor for this year's Makers Market, the event is supported with help from numerous local sponsors, including Niagara Falls Convention Center, Cornerstone CFCU, Sheraton Niagara Falls USA, Leaf Filter Gutter Protection, Niagara Falls Firefighters Local 714, the Niagara Hiking Co. and Niagara Falls State Park.

Musical guest will be Jamie Holka.d

Thanks to the City of Niagara Falls, parking is free at city lots during the event and throughout the upcoming weekend's Jingle Falls activities downtown. In addition, free parking will be available in the lot at Niagara Falls State Park.

For more information, visit or follow LiveNF on Facebook or Instagram. Additional information can be obtained via email at info@livenf.com.