A new shop has opened in West Duluth’s Spirit Valley area selling locally made goods. Makers Mercantile will host its Grand Opening on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 3 to 7 p.m. Owners Sara and Scott Clifton talk about opening and what they see for the future of the shop.

M.M.: Scott and I moved up to Duluth for college, and it didn’t take long for us to feel right at home. We love the people, the businesses, and everything the beautiful North Shore has to offer. We are creators and dreamers. Through observations and many discussions around the dinner table, our crafting ideas moved beyond creating products ourselves into creating a platform for local makers. We love the creativity and craftsmanship in our region, but started noticing that locally made goods were more difficult to find than expected, unless you went to a craft show or knew a specific maker to buy from. This observation spurred on an idea — to combine the values of handcrafted and local. We spent the last few years mulling over this idea, and decided this past winter to start pursuing it. Makers Mercantile just opened, and it is all about local, handmade goods.

We exist to celebrate the Makers along the North Shore, and we want to display their unique and well-made products to the community. We hope that through Makers Mercantile, we can support makers as they further their goals and businesses. We also want to represent the positive character and overall feel of this region, and we hope that the shop will feel like a slice of the North Shore to locals and visitors alike.

We currently have around 30 makers represented in Makers Mercantile! The majority are North Shore based. Each maker has their own distinct style, and their products range from functional items to décor. A few of the products we carry are bags and backpacks from Harmonic Goods, Pillows from Teal Water Design, Journals from Press Du Nord, and Jewelry from Atelier and Stone.

It has been a blast meeting so many wonderful creatives from the North Shore region! We are honored to get to work with them and carry their amazing products. It is rewarding to know that Makers Mercantile is supporting real people in our local community, helping to fuel their dreams.

The current hours are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10-5. We plan on having special events every few months! They will all involve and highlight local makers. We are right next door to Bailey Builds Studio (reclaimed wood artists), and some of our events will be partnering with their business as well.

Our Grand Opening is on Saturday, Sept. 30! It’s a combined event with Bailey Builds Studio, from 3-7p. There will be delicious (free!) food, live artist demonstrations, music, and kids activities. Makers Mercantile will be filled with local artisan goods, and Bailey Builds will be selling art in their studio. We are excited to celebrate local makers through this event!

Saturday, Sept. 30, 3 to 7 p.m.
5727 Grand Avenue
Rain or Shine
Event link on Facebook

Links:
Instagram: makers.mercantile
Facebook: makers.mercantilemn
Website: www.makersmercantilemn.com

Hours:
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.