This Saturday, the Corbin Creator Fair will open its doors yet again, but vendors and patrons may have to wait a while longer for its next show.
Organizer Tonya Wood manages the fair as well as Corbin Con and the Corbin Card Show. She said she began the Creator Fair in July 2025 because the spots at Corbin Con allotted to craft vendors always filled up quickly.
“I mean, they would go lightning fast. All the way up to the end of the show, I would have people messaging me and wanting a space for crafts,” Wood said. “I decided to make a whole show dedicated to crafts, because there was obviously a need for it.”
Wood said spaces for the first Creator Fair sold out within a month, which she said was the fastest any of her shows have filled up. The fair opened its doors again in November 2025 and February 2026.
She said while she intended for the Creator Fair and Corbin Con to run four times a year respectively, both events will be once annually going forward as she takes time to focus on her family.
“I thought a quarterly show would be the way to go, but, honestly, there’s been so many craft shows popping up recently,” Wood said. “I love that because I think there should always be a platform for creators to share their stuff with everybody. I’m really excited all these shows are popping up now and can take the reins while I step back.”
The upcoming fair features around 55 vendors with a wide array of products and experiences for the community to enjoy. From local artists and authors to woodworkers and blacksmiths, Wood said the Creator Fair features “any kind of creativity you can think of.”
“It makes for a good show if a husband and wife can come, and if she loves books and he loves knives, they both have something they can look at,” she said. “There is always something for everybody. I like to keep it diverse because not everybody likes the same thing.”
Gary W. Bryant is a London author who sold his books in-person for the first time as a Creator Fair vendor.
“I sell some books online, but my favorite thing to do is sit with the public and speak with them about the books. It is always more fun to speak to people individually than try to reach them on social media,” he said.
Bryant will have his full “Ace Johnson” mystery novel trilogy on sale this Saturday.
Wood said around 600-800 people have attended each Creator Fair show to find “unique experiences and one-of-a-kind gifts.”
“It amazes me the amount of talent that lives in Corbin, Kentucky,” she said. “Everyday life can be so monotonous, but when you come to these shows and see the talent and creativity of all these people, it will speak to your spirits.”
The Corbin Creator Fair is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 25 at the Civic Center. It is a free admission event. Concessions and beverages will be available for purchase at outdoor food trucks, including a baked goods sale to support the Whitley County cheerleaders.
